Eisenhower’s Farewell Address Warns of the Military-Industrial Complex and the Challenges of the Cold War (1961)

Date: January 17, 1961

Created By: James C. Hagerty

Original or Replica: Original

Era: The Cold War, The Presidency

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: DDE’s Papers as President, Speech Series, Box 38, Final TV Talk (1); NAID #16972219

This January 17, 1961 White House press release contains the official text of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address, delivered by radio and television three days before he left office. Eisenhower reflects on his years of public service and discusses the responsibilities facing the United States during the Cold War. He argues that the nation must remain militarily strong while avoiding impulsive responses to individual crises and maintaining a careful balance between national security, economic needs, individual liberty, and the welfare of future generations.

The address is best remembered for Eisenhower’s warning about the “military-industrial complex.” He explains that World War II and the Cold War had produced a permanent American military establishment and a large defense industry unlike anything previously experienced during peacetime. Although necessary for national security, Eisenhower warns that this combination could acquire “unwarranted influence” and threaten democratic institutions. He also cautions against the growing dependence of scientific research on federal funding and the possibility that public policy could become dominated by a “scientific-technological elite.”

Eisenhower concludes by looking toward international cooperation, disarmament, and lasting peace. Drawing on his experience as both a soldier and president, he acknowledges that achieving peace would be difficult but argues that the United States must continue pursuing a world based on freedom, mutual respect, and human dignity.