Eisenhower's

Farewell Address to The Nation

January 17, 1961
http://www.iliote!apleyades.net/e"opoliti!a/esp#e"opoliti!s#$#%ideo.ht&

'ood e%enin(, &y )ellow A&eri!ans: First, * should li+e to e"press &y (ratitude to the radio and
tele%ision networ+s )or the opportunity they ha%e (i%en &e o%er the years to rin( reports and
&essa(es to our nation. ,y spe!ial than+s (o to the& )or the opportunity o) addressin( you this
e%enin(.
Three days )ro& now, a)ter a hal) !entury o) ser%i!e o) our !ountry, * shall lay down the
responsiilities o) o))i!e as, in traditional and sole&n !ere&ony, the authority o) the -residen!y is
%ested in &y su!!essor.
This e%enin( * !o&e to you with a &essa(e o) lea%e.ta+in( and )arewell, and to share a )ew )inal
thou(hts with you, &y !ountry&en.
/i+e e%ery other !iti0en, * wish the new -resident, and all who will laor with hi&, 'odspeed. *
pray that the !o&in( years will e lessed with pea!e and prosperity )or all.
1ur people e"pe!t their -resident and the 2on(ress to )ind essential
a(ree&ent on 3uestions o) (reat &o&ent, the wise resolution o) whi!h
will etter shape the )uture o) the nation.

,y own relations with 2on(ress, whi!h e(an on a re&ote and tenuous
asis when, lon( a(o, a &e&er o) the 4enate appointed &e to 5est
-oint, ha%e sin!e ran(ed to the inti&ate durin( the war and i&&ediate
post.war period, and )inally to the &utually interdependent durin( these
past ei(ht years.
*n this )inal relationship, the 2on(ress and the Ad&inistration ha%e, on
&ost %ital issues, !ooperated well, to ser%e the nation well rather than
&ere partisanship, and so ha%e assured that the usiness o) the nation should (o )orward. 4o &y
o))i!ial relationship with 2on(ress ends in a )eelin( on &y part, o) (ratitude that we ha%e een ale
to do so &u!h to(ether.
5e now stand ten years past the &idpoint o) a !entury that has witnessed )our &a6or wars a&on(
(reat nations. Three o) these in%ol%ed our own !ountry. 7espite these holo!austs A&eri!a is today
the stron(est, the &ost in)luential and &ost produ!ti%e nation in the world. 8nderstandaly proud o)
this pre.e&inen!e, we yet reali0e that A&eri!a's leadership and presti(e depend, not &erely upon
our un&at!hed &aterial pro(ress, ri!hes and &ilitary stren(th, ut on how we use our power in the
interests o) world pea!e and hu&an etter&ent.
Throu(hout A&eri!a's ad%enture in )ree (o%ern&ent, su!h asi! purposes ha%e een to +eep the
pea!e9 to )oster pro(ress in hu&an a!hie%e&ent, and to enhan!e lierty, di(nity and inte(rity a&on(
peoples and a&on( nations.
To stri%e )or less would e unworthy o) a )ree and reli(ious people.
Any )ailure tra!eale to arro(an!e or our la!+ o) !o&prehension or readiness to sa!ri)i!e would
in)li!t upon us a (rie%ous hurt, oth at ho&e and aroad.
-ro(ress toward these nole (oals is persistently threatened y the !on)li!t now en(ul)in( the
world. *t !o&&ands our whole attention, asors our %ery ein(s. 5e )a!e a hostile ideolo(y (loal
in s!ope, atheisti! in !hara!ter, ruthless in purpose, and insidious in &ethod. 8nhappily the dan(er it
poses pro&ises to e o) inde)inite duration. To &eet it su!!ess)ully, there is !alled )or, not so &u!h
the e&otional and transitory sa!ri)i!es o) !risis, ut rather those whi!h enale us to !arry )orward
steadily, surely, and without !o&plaint the urdens o) a prolon(ed and !o&ple" stru((le : with
lierty the sta+e. 1nly thus shall we re&ain, despite e%ery pro%o!ation, on our !harted !ourse
toward per&anent pea!e and hu&an etter&ent.
2rises there will !ontinue to e. *n &eetin( the&, whether )orei(n or do&esti!, (reat or s&all, there
is a re!urrin( te&ptation to )eel that so&e spe!ta!ular and !ostly a!tion !ould e!o&e the
&ira!ulous solution to all !urrent di))i!ulties. A hu(e in!rease in the newer ele&ents o) our
de)enses9 de%elop&ent o) unrealisti! pro(ra&s to !ure e%ery ill in a(ri!ulture9 a dra&ati! e"pansion
in asi! and applied resear!h : these and &any other possiilities, ea!h possily pro&isin( in itsel),
&ay e su((ested as the only way to the road we wish to tra%el. A %ital ele&ent in +eepin( the
pea!e is our &ilitary estalish&ent. 1ur ar&s &ust e &i(hty, ready )or instant a!tion, so that no
potential a((ressor &ay e te&pted to ris+ his own destru!tion.
;ut ea!h proposal &ust e wei(hed in li(ht o) a roader !onsideration9 the need to &aintain alan!e
in and a&on( national pro(ra&s : alan!e etween the pri%ate and the puli! e!ono&y, alan!e
etween the !ost and hoped )or ad%anta(es : alan!e etween the !learly ne!essary and the
!o&)ortaly desirale9 alan!e etween our essential re3uire&ents as a nation and the duties
i&posed y the nation upon the indi%idual9 alan!e etween the a!tions o) the &o&ent and the
national wel)are o) the )uture. 'ood 6ud(&ent see+s alan!e and pro(ress9 la!+ o) it e%entually
)inds i&alan!e and )rustration.
The re!ord o) &any de!ades stands as proo) that our people and their 'o%ern&ent ha%e, in the
&ain, understood these truths and ha%e responded to the& well in the )a!e o) threat and stress.
;ut threats, new in +ind or de(ree, !onstantly arise.
1) these, * &ention two only.
A %ital ele&ent in +eepin( the pea!e is our &ilitary estalish&ent. 1ur ar&s &ust e &i(hty, ready
)or instant a!tion, so that no potential a((ressor &ay e te&pted to ris+ his own destru!tion.
1ur &ilitary or(ani0ation today ears little relation to that +nown y any o) &y prede!essors in
pea!eti&e, or indeed y the )i(htin( &en o) 5orld 5ar ** or <orea.
8ntil the latest o) our world !on)li!ts, the 8nited 4tates had no ar&a&ents industry. A&eri!an
&a+ers o) plowshares !ould, with ti&e and as re3uired, &a+e swords as well. ;ut now we !an no
lon(er ris+ e&er(en!y i&pro%isation o) national de)ense9 we ha%e een !o&pelled to !reate a
per&anent ar&a&ents industry o) %ast proportions. Added to this, three and a hal) &illion &en and
wo&en are dire!tly en(a(ed in the de)ense estalish&ent. 5e annually spend on &ilitary se!urity
&ore than the net in!o&e o) all 8nited 4tates !orporations. A&eri!an &a+ers o) plowshares !ould,
with ti&e and as re3uired, &a+e swords as well. ;ut now we !an no lon(er ris+ e&er(en!y
i&pro%isation o) national de)ense9 we ha%e een !o&pelled to !reate a per&anent ar&a&ents
industry o) %ast proportions.
This !on6un!tion o) an i&&ense &ilitary estalish&ent and a lar(e ar&s industry is new in the
A&eri!an e"perien!e. The total in)luen!e : e!ono&i!, politi!al, e%en spiritual : is )elt in e%ery !ity,
e%ery 4tatehouse, e%ery o))i!e o) the Federal (o%ern&ent. 5e re!o(ni0e the i&perati%e need )or this
de%elop&ent. =et we &ust not )ail to !o&prehend its (ra%e i&pli!ations. 1ur toil, resour!es and
li%elihood are all in%ol%ed9 so is the %ery stru!ture o) our so!iety.
*n the !oun!ils o) (o%ern&ent, we &ust (uard a(ainst the a!3uisition o) unwarranted in)luen!e,
whether sou(ht or unsou(ht, y the &ilitary.industrial !o&ple". The potential )or the disastrous rise
o) &ispla!ed power e"ists and will persist.
5e &ust ne%er let the wei(ht o) this !o&ination endan(er our lierties or de&o!rati! pro!esses.
5e should ta+e nothin( )or (ranted. 1nly an alert and +nowled(eale !iti0enry !an !o&pel the
proper &eshin( o) the hu(e industrial and &ilitary &a!hinery o) de)ense with our pea!e)ul &ethods
and (oals, so that se!urity and lierty &ay prosper to(ether.
A+in to, and lar(ely responsile )or the sweepin( !han(es in our industrial.&ilitary posture, has
een the te!hnolo(i!al re%olution durin( re!ent de!ades.
*n this re%olution, resear!h has e!o&e !entral, it also e!o&es &ore )or&ali0ed, !o&ple", and
!ostly. A steadily in!reasin( share is !ondu!ted )or, y, or at the dire!tion o), the Federal
(o%ern&ent.
Today, the solitary in%entor, tin+erin( in his shop, has een o%ershadowed y tas+ )or!es o)
s!ientists in laoratories and testin( )ields. *n the sa&e )ashion, the )ree uni%ersity, histori!ally the
)ountainhead o) )ree ideas and s!ienti)i! dis!o%ery, has e"perien!ed a re%olution in the !ondu!t o)
resear!h. -artly e!ause o) the hu(e !osts in%ol%ed, a (o%ern&ent !ontra!t e!o&es %irtually a
sustitute )or intelle!tual !uriosity. For e%ery old la!+oard there are now hundreds o) new
ele!troni! !o&puters.
The prospe!t o) do&ination o) the nation's s!holars y Federal e&ploy&ent, pro6e!t allo!ations, and
the power o) &oney is e%er present : and is (ra%ely to e re(arded.
=et, in holdin( s!ienti)i! resear!h and dis!o%ery in respe!t, as we should, we &ust also e alert to
the e3ual and opposite dan(er that puli! poli!y !ould itsel) e!o&e the !apti%e o) a s!ienti)i!.
te!hnolo(i!al elite. The prospe!t o) do&ination o) the nation's s!holars y Federal e&ploy&ent,
pro6e!t allo!ations, and the power o) &oney is e%er present : and is (ra%ely to e re(arded.
*t is the tas+ o) states&anship to &old, to alan!e, and to inte(rate these and other )or!es, new and
old, within the prin!iples o) our de&o!rati! syste& : e%er ai&in( toward the supre&e (oals o) our
)ree so!iety.
Another )a!tor in &aintainin( alan!e in%ol%es the ele&ent o) ti&e. As we peer into so!iety's )uture,
we : you and *, and our (o%ern&ent : &ust a%oid the i&pulse to li%e only )or today, plunderin( )or,
)or our own ease and !on%enien!e, the pre!ious resour!es o) to&orrow. 5e !annot &ort(a(e the
&aterial assets o) our (rand!hildren without as+in( the loss also o) their politi!al and spiritual
herita(e. 5e want de&o!ra!y to sur%i%e )or all (enerations to !o&e, not to e!o&e the insol%ent
phanto& o) to&orrow.
7own the lon( lane o) the history yet to e written A&eri!a +nows that this world o) ours, e%er
(rowin( s&aller, &ust a%oid e!o&in( a !o&&unity o) dread)ul )ear and hate, and e, instead, a
proud !on)ederation o) &utual trust and respe!t.
4u!h a !on)ederation &ust e one o) e3uals. The wea+est &ust !o&e to the !on)eren!e tale with
the sa&e !on)iden!e as do we, prote!ted as we are y our &oral, e!ono&i!, and &ilitary stren(th.
That tale, thou(h s!arred y &any past )rustrations, !annot e aandoned )or the !ertain a(ony o)
the attle)ield.
7isar&a&ent, with &utual honor and !on)iden!e, is a !ontinuin( i&perati%e. To(ether we &ust
learn how to !o&pose di))eren!es, not with ar&s, ut with intelle!t and de!ent purpose. ;e!ause
this need is so sharp and apparent * !on)ess that * lay down &y o))i!ial responsiilities in this )ield
with a de)inite sense o) disappoint&ent. As one who has witnessed the horror and the lin(erin(
sadness o) war : as one who +nows that another war !ould utterly destroy this !i%ili0ation whi!h
has een so slowly and pain)ully uilt o%er thousands o) years : * wish * !ould say toni(ht that a
lastin( pea!e is in si(ht.
>appily, * !an say that war has een a%oided. 4teady pro(ress toward our ulti&ate (oal has een
&ade. ;ut, so &u!h re&ains to e done. As a pri%ate !iti0en, * shall ne%er !ease to do what little *
!an to help the world ad%an!e alon( that road.
4o : in this &y last (ood ni(ht to you as your -resident : * than+ you )or the &any opportunities
you ha%e (i%en &e )or puli! ser%i!e in war and pea!e. * trust that in that ser%i!e you )ind so&e
thin(s worthy9 as )or the rest o) it, * +now you will )ind ways to i&pro%e per)or&an!e in the )uture.
=ou and * : &y )ellow !iti0ens : need to e stron( in our )aith that all nations, under 'od, will
rea!h the (oal o) pea!e with 6usti!e. ,ay we e e%er unswer%in( in de%otion to prin!iple, !on)ident
ut hu&le with power, dili(ent in pursuit o) the Nations' (reat (oals.
To all the peoples o) the world, * on!e &ore (i%e e"pression to A&eri!a's prayer)ul and !ontinuin(
aspiration:
5e pray that peoples o) all )aiths, all ra!es, all nations, &ay ha%e their (reat hu&an needs satis)ied9
that those now denied opportunity shall !o&e to en6oy it to the )ull9 that all who yearn )or )reedo&
&ay e"perien!e its spiritual lessin(s9 that those who ha%e )reedo& will understand, also, its hea%y
responsiilities9 that all who are insensiti%e to the needs o) others will learn !harity9 that the
s!our(es o) po%erty, disease and i(noran!e will e &ade to disappear )ro& the earth, and that, in the
(oodness o) ti&e, all peoples will !o&e to li%e to(ether in a pea!e (uaranteed y the indin( )or!e
o) &utual respe!t and lo%e.
Now, on Friday noon, * a& to e!o&e a pri%ate !iti0en. * a& proud to do so. * loo+ )orward to it.
Than+ you, and (ood ni(ht