Introduction
This almanac page for Wednesday, May 20, 1970, 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 19, 1970
Next Date: Thursday, May 21, 1970
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.
-
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.
Appointments and Nominations
- Federal Farm Credit Board (6 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 665, May 20, 1970)
Announcement of Intention To Nominate Three Members of the Board.
Awards and Citations
- Presidential Unit Citation (6 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 665, May 20, 1970)
Announcement of Award to the 2d Battalion, 12th Cavalary, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and to Troop B, 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalary Regiment, United States Army.
Congress, Communications to
- Marine Pollution from Oil Spills (6 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 660, May 20, 1970)
The President's Message to the Congress Proposing Administrative and Legislative Actions.
Proclamations
- Prayer for Peace, Memorial Day, 1970 (6 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 664, May 20, 1970)
Proclamation 3985.
Statements by the President
- Retirement of Speaker McCormack (6 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 664, May 20, 1970)
Statement by the President on Speaker John W. McCormack's Decision To Retire at the End of His Present Term.
Checklist of White House Press Releases
The releases listed below, made public by the Office of the White House Press Secretary during the period covered by this issue, are not included in the issue.
- Press conference of Russell E. Train, Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality; Andrew E. Gibson, Administrator, Maritime Administration; Rear Adm. O. R. Smeder, Assistant Chief of Staff for Ocean Sciences, United States Coast Guard; and Robert H. Neuman, Assistant Legal Adviser, Department of State, on the President's message on marine pollution from oil spills.
Digest of Other White House Announcements
Following is a listing of items of general interest which were announced in the press but not made public as formal White House press releases during the period covered by this issue. Appointments requiring Senate approval are not included since they appear in the list of nominations submitted to the Senate, below.
- Fifteen black university and college presidents who are members of the National Association of Equal Opportunity in Higher Education met with the President at the White House to discuss problems of black students.
- Federal Farm Credit Board (6 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 665, May 20, 1970)
-
Each Public Papers of the Presidents volume contains the papers and speeches of the President of the United States that were issued by the White House Office of the Press Secretary during the time period specified by the volume. The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In instances when the release date differs from the date of the document itself, that fact is shown in the text note.
To ensure accuracy, remarks have been checked against audio recordings (when available) and signed documents have been checked against the original, unless otherwise noted. Editors have provided text notes and cross references for purposes of identification or clarity.
-
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
-
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.
-
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. XX, Southeast Asia, 1969-1972
Thailand
- 64. Backchannel Message From the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to the Ambassador to Thailand (Unger) , Washington, May 20, 1970
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–074, WSAG Meeting, 5/22/70. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only; Immediate. Repeated to Saigon for Bunker and Abrams and to CINCPAC for Admiral McCain.
Vol. XXIII, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1969-1972
The Cease-Fire Agreement
- 116. Paper Prepared by the National Security Council Staff, Washington, May 20, 1970
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–044, Senior Review Group Meetings, Review Group Middle East 5/21/70. Secret; Nodis. The undated Department of State paper that this paper summarizes, entitled “U.S. Policy Options in the Middle East,” is attached. All brackets are in the original.
Vol. XXIX, Eastern Europe, 1969-1972
Romania
- 194. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the Presidentʼs Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) , Washington, May 20, 1970
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 702, Country Files—Europe, Romania, Vol. II 9/69–Jun 70. Limited Official Use. Sent for action.
Vol. XXXII, SALT I, 1969-1972
Round Two at Vienna, April 18-August 13, 1970
- 77. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) , Washington, May 20, 1970
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 877, SALT, SALT talks (Vienna), Vol. IX, May 10–June 12, 1970. Secret. Sent for information. Kissinger initialed the memorandum, and a stamped notation indicates he saw it on May 23.
- 78. Letter From the President of the California Institute of Technology (Brown) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) , Pasadena, California, May 20, 1970
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 808, Name Files, Brown, Harold. Secret. Sent for the attention of Sonnenfeldt. There is no indication that Kissinger saw the letter, but a handwritten notation on the letter reads, “OBE per Sonnenfeldt.” Brown was a former Secretary of the Air Force.
Vol. XXXIX, European Security
"Bureaucratic Steamroller," January 1969-November 1970
- 23. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) , Washington, May 20, 1970
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 259, Agency Files, NATO, Vol. VIII. Secret. Sent for action.
- 64. Backchannel Message From the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to the Ambassador to Thailand (Unger) , Washington, May 20, 1970
-
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 of many of these transcripts can be found on the Yale University Library website.
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-3536 Photographer: Hartmann | Color or B&W: Color
- Frame(s): WHPO-3536-, GINGER SaVILLE. 5/20/1970, unknown unknown. unknown.
Roll WHPO-3537 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W
- Frame(s): WHPO-3537-02-14, President Nixon meeting with officers and leading members of the National Association of Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (Black Colleges and Universities). 5/20/1970, Washington, D.C. White House Cabinet Room. President Nixon.
Roll WHPO-3538 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: B&W
- Frame(s): WHPO-3538-01A-05A, President Nixon meeting with officers and leading members of the National Association of Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (Black Colleges and Universities). 5/20/1970, Washington, D.C. White House Cabinet Room. President Nixon.
Roll WHPO-3539 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: B&W
- Frame(s): WHPO-3539-02-09, Portrait of Dan Hofgren at his desk. 5/20/1970, Washington, D.C. unknown. Daniel W. Hofgren.
Roll WHPO-3543 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: Color
- Frame(s): WHPO-3543-02A-09A, Pat Nixon at Tea with District of Columbia foster mothers. 5/20/1970, Washington, D.C. White House East Garden. Pat Nixon.
-
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.
H - White House Staff Member Recordings
- WHCA-SR-H-182
Press briefing by Gerald Warren, Admiral Smeder, Russell Train, and Mr. Neuman re Oil Slick Legislation. (5/20/1970, Press Center, White House)
Runtime: 15:00
Keywords: Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media
Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by ADS (initials of WHCA engineer)
Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.
- WHCA-SR-H-182
-
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-3730
"The Merv Griffin Show" - Herb Klein, Director of White House Communications. Constance Dunaway.
Undetermined
Runtime: 00:28:35 - WHCA-3733
Weekly News Summary.
ALL NETWORKS
Runtime: 0:20
3. University Presidents at the White House. Time Code Start: 05:09. Keywords: universities, colleges, faculty, executives, leaders, meetings. Network: CBS.
4. University Presidents at the White House. Time Code Start: 07:32. Keywords: universities, colleges, faculty, executives, leaders, meetings. Network: NBC.
5. University Presidents at the White House. Time Code Start: 09:26. Keywords: universities, colleges, faculty, executives, leaders, meetings. Network: ABC.
6. Vice President Agnew at a Tennis Match. Time Code Start: 11:02. Keywords: Vice Presidents, sports, tennis, games. Network: ABC. - WHCA-3734
"Face the Nation" - Herbert Klein, Director of White House Communications. Sarah McClendon, White House correspondent.
Griffin Productions
Runtime: 00:29:33
- WHCA-3730
Context (External Sources)
-
The Vanderbilt Television News Archive is the world's most extensive and complete archive of television news. They have been recording, preserving and providing access to television news broadcasts of the national networks since August 5, 1968.
-
Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.