1. Home
  2. Research
  3. Almanac

November 13, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Saturday, November 13, 1971, 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: Friday, November 12, 1971

Next Date: Sunday, November 14, 1971

Schedule and Public Documents

  • The Daily Diary files represent a consolidated record of the President's activities. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    The President's day began at Camp David, Maryland

  • The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents made available transcripts of the President's news conferences; messages to Congress; public speeches, remarks, and statements; and other Presidential materials released by the White House.

    Digitized versions can be found at HathiTrust.

  • The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other Presidential documents.

  • The Congressional Record is the official daily record of the debates and proceedings of the U.S. Congress.

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.

  • The H. R. Haldeman Diaries consists of seven handwritten diaries, 36 dictated diaries recorded as sound recordings, and two handwritten audio cassette tape subject logs. The diaries and logs reflect H. R. Haldeman’s candid personal record and reflections on events, issues, and people encountered during his service in the Nixon White House. As administrative assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, Haldeman attended and participated in public events and private meetings covering the entire scope of issues in which the Nixon White House engaged in during the years 1969-1973. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    • Transcript of diary entry (PDF)
      Saturday, November 13.
      President called me over to Dogwood at 10:30 for a couple hours of general discussion, starting with plans for Mrs. Nixon's trip to Africa. It was agreed that her official party would consist of the Billy Graham's, Bunny Lasker and his kids, and the Johnsons, publisher of Ebony magazine. President had a lot of ideas on how to structure the trip: mechanics, such as how to set the plane up. He wants Codus to go from Protocol and handle trip management, and so on. A little later Pat and Julie both joined us and agreed with the basic plans. Julie suggested we try to sell the coverage to one network on an exclusive basis and wants Ziegler to explore that. The President said Pat should have a talk with the President in each country where she goes, and he said he wanted to have her entire delegation in to meet with him before they leave, to make a big thing out of the trip.

      He also got into some discussion of his own trips and scheduling and called Henry several times in the process. He wants to try to move Willy Brandt to Christmas week, so that we could do Brandt that week, Kei-- Heath the week before and Pompidou the week before that. Get them all done in December. He also wants to consider the possibility of bringing Connally and Rogers with him. Perhaps also Laird, so that it would be a meeting of the Finance Forei-- Ministers-- Foreign Ministers and Defense Ministers, as well as heads of government.

      He discussed his plan for his AF of L speech. If he does do it, he wants a complete speech written and the text put out in advance. Then when he gets there, he'll say: this is the text and I stand by it; it's been released to the press, but rather than using it, I want to talk to you directly today. Then he'll throw the text away and go directly to his own pitch on how great the labor people are in supporting America, and that sort of thing. He also got into some discussion on the plan we have for a television day in the White House, and he had a lot of good ideas on it— improved on most of ours. He wants to be sure we bring the dog in, that we don't emphasize program; that we emphasize human stuff, such as a blind child type of thing, a Mexican "Open Door" hour type of deal. He wants to be sure to have the Vice President in. He seems to be very enthusiastic about that, which is good. I thought he probably would not take to it very well.

      We got into quite a thing late in the afternoon, because he discovered that Julie didn't have adequate preparation material for her trip. He wants me now to put Andrews on it and get some really good Q&A things worked out for her and some talking points on Administration programs and achievements, the kind of points that we want her to get across, such as we would give a
      Cabinet officer.

      End of November 13.
    • Original audio recording (MP3)

  • 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. VII, Vietnam, July 1970-January 1972

    Military and Diplomatic Stalemate, October 11, 1971-January 26, 1972

  • 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 Photo Office collection consists of photographic coverage of President Richard Nixon meeting with prominent social, political, and cultural personalities; speaking engagements and news conferences of the President and various high-ranking members of the White House staff and Cabinet; Presidential domestic and foreign travel, including Presidential vacations; social events and entertainment involving the First Family, including entertainers present; official portraits of the President, First Family, and high-ranking members of the Nixon administration; the 1969 and 1973 Inaugurals; the President’s 1972 Presidential election campaign appearances (including speeches) and other official activities of the White House staff and the President’s Cabinet from January 20, 1969 until August 9, 1974 at the White House and the Old Executive Office Building; other locations in Washington, DC, such as The Mall; and the Presidential retreats in Camp David, Maryland, Key Biscayne, Florida, and San Clemente, California. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    Roll WHPO-7792 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-7792-02-14, A tour group from Indiana touring on the Diplomatic Entrance steps. 11/13/1971, Washington, D.C. White House, Diplomatic Entrance. Indiana tour group members.

  • 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-4797
      "Agronsky & Company". FTN: U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright (D-AR); "MTP": President Salvador Allende of Chile; "I&A": George Bush, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
      CBS, NBC, ABC
      Runtime: 00:25:26
    • WHCA-4798
      "Thirty Minutes" AND "Black on White". Newsmakers: U.S. Senator Birch Bayh (D-IN).
      CBS, WTOP-TV
      Runtime: 01:00:20
    • WHCA-4813
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:30

      16. Utley: United Automobile Workers(UAW) criticism of President Nixon's Administration. Time Code Start: 39:30. Keywords: labor, unions, United Auto Workers (UAW), Presidents. Network: NBC.

      17. Utley: Wage price, Phase II with John Connally. Time Code Start: 41:30. Keywords: wage and price controls, freezes, prices, costs, increases, decreases, economy, economics, budgets, finances, recession, inflation, money. Network: NBC.

      18. Utley: Tax bill. Time Code Start: 43:30. Keywords: bills, laws, taxes, taxation, revenue, reforms. Network: NBC.

      19. Mudd: Vietnam troop reaction to President Nixon announcement of troop withdrawal. Time Code Start: 44:05. Keywords: Vietnam War, troops, withdrawals, Presidents, speeches. Network: CBS.

      20. Mudd: End of Phase I, begin Phase II. Time Code Start: 49:50. Keywords: wage and price controls, freezes, prices, costs, increases, decreases, economy, economics, budgets, finances, recession, inflation, money. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)