Eisenhower's farewell address (sometimes referred to as "Eisenhower's farewell address to the nation"
) was the
final public speech of
Dwight D. Eisenhower as the 34th President of the United States, delivered in a television broadcast on January 17, 1961. Perhaps best known for advocating that the nation guard against the potential influence of the
military–industrial complex
The expression military–industrial complex (MIC) describes the relationship between a country's military and the defense industry that supplies it, seen together as a vested interest which influences public policy. A driving factor behind the ...
, a term he is credited with coining, the speech also expressed concerns about planning for the future and the dangers of massive spending, especially
deficit spending
Within the budgetary process, deficit spending is the amount by which spending exceeds revenue over a particular period of time, also called simply deficit, or budget deficit; the opposite of budget surplus. The term may be applied to the budget ...
, the prospect of the domination of science through federal funding and, conversely, the domination of science-based public policy by what he called a "scientific-technological elite".
This speech and Eisenhower's
Chance for Peace speech
The Chance for Peace speech, also known as the Cross of Iron speech, was an address given by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower on April 16, 1953, shortly after the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Speaking only three months into his preside ...
have been called the "bookends" of his administration.
[ Susan Eisenhower]
"50 Years Later, We're Still Ignoring Ike's Warning"
''The Washington Post'', January 16, 2011, p. B3.
Background
Eisenhower served as president for two full terms from January 1953 to January 1961, and was the first U.S. president to be
term-limited from seeking re-election again. He had overseen a period of considerable economic expansion, even as the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
deepened. Three of his
national budgets had been balanced, but spending pressures mounted. The recent
presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The p ...
had resulted in the election of
John F. Kennedy, and the oldest American president in a century was about to hand the reins of power to the youngest elected president.
The speech
As early as 1959, Eisenhower began working with his brother
Milton and his speechwriters, including his chief speechwriter
Malcolm Moos
Malcolm Charles Moos (April 19, 1916 – January 28, 1982) was an American political scientist, speechwriter and academic administrator. He was a professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University for two decades. As a speechwriter, Moos w ...
, to develop his final statement as he left public life. It went through at least 21 drafts.
[John Milburn]
"Papers shed light on Eisenhower's farewell address"
Associated Press, December 10, 2010. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2010.12.10. The speech was "a solemn moment in a decidedly unsolemn time", warning a nation "giddy with prosperity, infatuated with youth and glamour, and aiming increasingly for the easy life."
Despite his military background and being the only general to be elected president in the 20th century, he warned the nation with regard to the corrupting influence of what he describes as the "
military-industrial complex".
Scientific-technological elite
He also expressed his concomitant concern for corruption of the scientific process as part of this centralization of funding in the Federal government, and vice versa:
Legacy
Although it was much broader, Eisenhower's speech is remembered primarily for its reference to the military-industrial complex.
The phrase gained acceptance during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
era and 21st-century commentators have expressed the opinion that a number of the fears raised in his speech have come true.
The speech has been adapted as an oratory for orchestra and orator. The speech was depicted in the opening of the 1991 film ''
JFK''.
References
Notes
External links
Video of television broadcast of speechFifty Years After Eisenhower's Farewell Address, A Look at ''Prophets of War''video report by ''
Democracy Now!
''Democracy Now!'' is an hour-long American TV, radio, and Internet news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live each weekday at ...
''
Full text and audio of the speechat AmericanRhetoric.com
{{Dwight D. Eisenhower
1961 speeches
Speeches by Dwight D. Eisenhower
1961 in American politics
Military–industrial complex
January 1961 events in the United States
Farewell addresses