Eisenhower's Farewell Address: Section I Summary

The Usual Niceties and Shout-outs to Get Warmed Up

  • Ike starts off by telling everyone what they already know: in a few more days, he's not going to be president anymore.
  • He wishes JFK and his incoming cabinet Godspeed, which is a nice gesture of solidarity and non-partisanship. He also wishes for peace and prosperity, which is nice, too.
  • Then he reminisces about his relationship with Congress, and how they and his Administration mostly got along well and made sure the country was okay. Thanks, Congress, and good job, everybody.