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May 20, 1974

Introduction

This almanac page for Monday, May 20, 1974, pulls together various records created by the federal government and links to additional resources which can provide context about the events of the day.

Previous Date: Sunday, May 19, 1974

Next Date: Tuesday, May 21, 1974

Schedule and Public Documents

Archival Holdings

Any selection of archival documents will necessarily be partial. You should use the documents and folders identified below as a starting place, but consult the linked collection finding aids and folder title lists and the collections themselves for context. Many documents to be found this way do not lend themselves to association with specific dates, but are essential to a complete understanding of the material.

  • Selective document listing

    President's Office Files

    The President's Office Files consists of materials drawn together by the Special Files Unit from several administrative subdivisions within the White House Office. It is the handwriting and sensitive papers sent to the Staff Secretary that now comprise much of the President's Office Files. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    President's Personal File

    The President's Personal File is essentially a President's secretary's file, kept by Rose Mary Woods, personal secretary to the President, for two purposes: (1) preserving for posterity a collection of documents particularly close to the President, whether because he dictated or annotated them, or because of the importance of the correspondent or the event concerned and (2) giving appropriate attention–letters of gratitude, invitations to White House social events, and the like–to members and important friends and supporters of the Nixon administration. This generalization does not describe all the varied materials of a file group which is essentially a miscellany, but it does identify the reason for the existence of the file group's core. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

  • The National Archives Catalog is the online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records. It is the main way of describing our holdings and also provides access to electronic records and digitized versions of our holdings. 

    The Catalog searches across multiple National Archives resources at once, including archival descriptions, digitized and electronic records, authority records, and web pages from Archives.gov and the Presidential Libraries. The Catalog also allows users to contribute to digitized historical records through tagging and transcription.

    Nixon Library Holdings

    All National Archives Units

National Security Documents

  • The President's Daily Brief is the primary vehicle for summarizing the day-to-day sensitive intelligence and analysis, as well as late-breaking reports, for the White House on current and future national security issues. Read "The President's Daily Brief: Delivering Intelligence to Nixon and Ford" to learn more.

  • The Foreign Relations of the United States series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. Visit the State Department website for more information.

    Vol. XXVI, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1974-1976

    Syrian-Israeli Disengagement Agreement, January-May 1974

  • The Kissinger telephone conversation transcripts consist of approximately 20,000 pages of transcripts of Kissinger’s telephone conversations during his tenure as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (1969-1974) and Secretary of State (1973-1974) during the administration of President Richard Nixon. Visit the finding aid for more information.

    Digitized versions can be found in the National Archives Catalog.

Audiovisual Holdings

  • The White House Communications Agency Sound Recordings Collection contains public statements that took place between 1969 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    P - Formal Presidential Remarks

    • WHCA-SR-P-740518
      Live radio remarks from Key Biscayne on health care. (5/20/1974)

      Runtime: 13:20

      Keywords: health care, health insurance

      Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.

  • The White House Communications Agency Videotape Collection contains “off-the-air” recordings of televised programs produced between 1968 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    • WHCA-6954
      "Martin Agronsky: Evening Edition". James McCord.
      CBS
      Runtime: 0:30
    • WHCA-6955
      "Washington Straight Talk". Rep. Peter Rodino James McCord, Joey Bishop and show cast.
      NBC
      Runtime: 00:29:00
    • WHCA-6963
      "Weekly News Summary", Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:30

      1. Smith/Schoumacher: Watergate case Special Prosecutor Jaworski on Judiciary Committee and President Nixon's lawyers. Time Code Start: 00:00. Keywords: law officials, attorneys, lawyers, appointments, Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals. Network: ABC.

      2. Smith/Donaldson: Judiciary Committee and info on International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT Corporation) and the milk deal. Time Code Start: 02:03. Keywords: International Telephone & Telegraph, communications, world, corporations, conglomerates, campaign funding, investigations, hearings. Network: ABC.

      3. Smith: Ellsberg case. Time Code Start: 04:02. Keywords: Watergate, Pentagon Papers, secrets, Russo, Watergate, courts, hearings, investigations, military, Armed Forces, Vietnam War, Indochina war, Laos, Cambodia, bombings. Network: ABC.

      4. Smith/Cioffi: French Elections. Time Code Start: 04:50. Keywords: France, elections, campaigns, campaigning, candidates. Network: ABC.

      5. Smith: Commentary on transcripts. Time Code Start: 07:42. Keywords: documents, transcriptions, bugging, bugs, wiretapping, wire taps, surveillance, spying, recordings, Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, scandals. Network: ABC.

      6. Newman/Stern: Watergate case Special Prosecutor Jaworski. Time Code Start: 09:34. Keywords: law officials, attorneys, lawyers, appointments, Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals. Network: NBC.

      7. Newman/Brinkley: Commentary on India, new atomic power. Time Code Start: 11:49. Keywords: Asian, East Indian, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, atomic bombs, explosions. Network: NBC.

      8. Mudd/Threlkeld/Drinkwater/Daniels: Patty Hearst case. Time Code Start: 13:34. Keywords: trials, militants, activists, kidnapping, robbery, murder, vanguard army, Donald DeFreeze, Nancy Ling Perry, Patricia Soltysik, Emily Harris, William Harris, Angela Atwood, Camilla Hall, crime, crimes, offences, infractions, criminals, criminality, law br. Network: CBS.

      9. Mudd/Graham: Judge Sirica subpoenas more tapes (Watergate). Time Code Start: 21:40. Keywords: law officials, attorneys, lawyers, bugging, bugs, wiretapping, wire taps, surveillance, spying, recordings, Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, scandals. Network: CBS.

      10. Mudd/Morton: Committee closed hearings. Time Code Start: 23:23. Keywords: Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals, impeachment, resignations. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)