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November 3, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Friday, November 3, 1972, 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: Thursday, November 2, 1972

Next Date: Saturday, November 4, 1972

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 The White House - Washington, D. C.

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  • 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.

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 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)
      Friday, November 3rd. Christian called this morning with a follow-up on the Johnson story. He says Johnson now has decided that he won't say anything, he's just going to slough it off. He had people working all night on the files, and he told Christian that what the series of events was from October 17 on...

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      EXEMPTED IN FULL, E.O. 13526, Sect. 3.3B(1)B(3), June 12, 2013
      Audio Cassette 26, Side A, Withdrawn Item Number 18 [AC-26(A) Sel 15]
      Duration: 45 seconds

      VIETNAM

      ANNA CHENNAULT

      PEACE TALKS
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      He suggested that we look at the way he handled this in his book, that is his position. He then did say to George...

      [End of tape reel AC-26(A)]

      [Begin tape reel AC-26(B)]

      Continuing November 3rd; the report from George Christian. He says that Johnson decided to interpret this whole thing as something foolish that someone did without Nixon's knowledge, and that he and Nixon agreed to do nothing to slow down the peace talks. He suggested we look at the way he handled it in his book, that is his position. He then said it is conceivable that somebody asked the FBI to follow-up on this, and that maybe Hoover did tell the President he was asked to do this. Christian told Johnson, that in fact that was the case, that Hoover had told Nixon this. Johnson's attitude is that everyone was in agreement to get the war over—he and Nixon and so on—and that all were on board, and there was no problem. Christian explained to Johnson about the FBI leak problem that we have, and said that this could be an entrapment, and he said this impressed him. And Christian assured him that the White House would do the best to handle this without escalating it. Christian says the Star story is anti-Nixon; it brings up Watergate, CIA, and so on. And it's a bad story for everybody, not just for Johnson according to Johnson. Johnson also told Christian last night that he's in very serious physical trouble. The doctors say that if he lives until April, the pain may be relieved and his vessels may be strong enough that he'll be all right. There's some discussion of surgery, but he won't do it, he’s spending three-fourths of his time in bed.

      On the plane to Chicago, we got into some discussion of whether there should be a Kissinger briefing tomorrow. Obviously, Henry had put the pressure on the President, after Ziegler and I agreed there should not be one. The President asked whether we can't just get a small group together. There's a real question though of whether we have to have it at all, and after discussion, we decided there would be no briefing, Henry should return phone calls to helpful type people. He should hold to the optimistic line with confidence. He should not have his story conflict with the President's trip, and he should not arouse or answer McGovern.

      We had the three airport rallies today. Chicago didn't go very well. There were a lot of hecklers, and the President got into the thing on the plane afterwards, that the organized harassment and vulgarity that it's deliberate. It’s a conspiracy to deny free speech even to the President of the United States. He thinks Ziegler ought to get this out as obviously a planned campaign of disruption and obscenity. Tulsa went better, but there was some of it there too, and the problem there is the Assistant Attorney General, who insisted that they not throw the bad people out, so the President wants him tracked down and some action taken on him. The Rhode Island one had a lot of hecklers, and we had a PA problem during the day also, so the President got into the need for getting all the PA's checked out for tomorrow. He raised the point also on the plane, of the need for Watergate follow-up to be worked out, so that we have a complete plan right after the election and can move on that. He wants to know who's in charge, and how that's being handled. I've talked to Ehrlichman about it. He and John Dean are supposedly on top of it.

      End of November 3rd.
    • Original audio recording (MP3)

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Context (External Sources)