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May 9, 1973

Introduction

This almanac page for Wednesday, May 9, 1973, 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: Tuesday, May 8, 1973

Next Date: Thursday, May 10, 1973

Schedule and Public Documents

Archival Holdings

  • 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. X, Vietnam, January 1973-July 1975

    Neither War nor Peace, January 27-June 15, 1973

    Vol. XV, Soviet Union, June 1972-August 1974

    Kissinger's Pre-Summit Trip to Moscow, May 1973

    Vol. XXXVI, Energy Crisis, 1969-1974

    March 8-October 5, 1973

    • 183. Paper Prepared by Harold H. Saunders and William B. Quandt of the National Security Council Staff, Washington, May 9, 1973

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1298, Saunders Files, Saudi Arabia, 1/1–5/30/73. Secret; Sensitive. Incorporated into the President’s May 11 daily briefing as part of a memorandum from Kissinger to Nixon, May 11. (Ibid., Box 51, Presidential Daily Briefings, May 1–15, 1973)

    • 184. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, May 9, 1973, 2:30-3:15 p.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1298, Saunders Files, Saudi Arabia, 1/1/73–5/31/73. Confidential. The meeting was held in the Roosevelt Room. Submitted to Scowcroft under a May 9 covering memorandum and a copy was sent to Saunders, Odeen, Hormats.

    Vol. XXXVIII, Part 2, Organization and Management of Foreign Policy; Public Diplomacy, 1973-1976

    The Intelligence Community: Investigation and Reorganization

    Vol. E-9, Part 2, Documents on the Middle East Region, 1973-1976

    Saudi Arabia

    • 88. Memorandum From Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft), Washington, May 9, 1973

      Summary: Saunders provided Scowcroft with several messages regarding U.S.-Saudi relations, including a cable for Faisal informing him of the U.S. approval of F–4 sales.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 761, Presidential Correspondence, 1969–74, Saudi Arabia: King Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (1972–74). Secret; Sensitive; [handling restriction not declassified]. No action indicated; however, at the top of the memo, Saunders wrote: “Note for file: HAK approved sending message in cable at Tab A minus last paragraph on F–4’s. This was done.” For Tab B, see Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. XXXVI, Energy Crisis, 1969–1974, Document 181. Attached but not published at [text not declassified] draft telegram to Jidda and Kuwait approving the sale of the F–4 in principle. Ambassador Thacher informed the Saudis of the approval on May 18. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 630, Country Files, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Volume III, September 1, 1971–April 1973)

  • 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

Context (External Sources)