Military-Industrial Complex
Seldom does a writer put forth a phrase that encapsulates so perfectly and so succinctly an idea, and seldom still does that phrase come to life and stumble out of the grasps of its creator to live a wholly independent life. That though is what happened when President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the eve of his presidency before handing matters over to John F. Kennedy.
During his farewell address, President Eisenhower uttered the phrase "military-industrial complex" espousing caution of allowing this coalition of the military and defense industries from gaining amounts of influence in American society. It was an astonishing argument for both coming from one of American's greatest military leaders and also one of the more milquetoast presidents.
These forces helped turn "military-industrial complex" into a fire starter of sorts of that still reverberate to this day. The genius of its phrasing and that it can be pulled out and interpreted in a variety of different ways and for a variety of different purposes.
Through the donation of Lt. Gen. Richard G. Trefry's personal papers, the University Archives is making available this series of illuminating letters and interviews from President Eisenhower's speechwriters and researchers to provide important context to such a misunderstood and misused phrase.
Letter from Ralph E. Williams to Charles Griffin
Correspondence from Ralph E. Williams to Charles Griffin. Williams was a speechwriter to President Eisenhower. Griffin was a professor at Kansas State University researching Eisenhower's farewell address.
Letter from Ralph E. Williams to Patrick Haney
Correspondence from Ralph E. Williams to Patrick Haney. Williams was a speechwriter to President Eisenhower and Patrick Haney was a student and professor at Ohio State University writing his dissertation on Eisenhower's "Farewell Address." Williams writes about the speechwriting process for the president.
Letter from Ralph E. Williams to Malcolm Moos
Correspondence from Ralph E. Williams to Malcolm Moos where Williams is writing shortly after Eisenhower's death in 1969. Moos was a speechwriter for Eisenhower and President of the University of Minnesota at the time.
Interview with Patrick Haney
Interview with Patrick Haney, professor at Ohio State University, who wrote his dissertation on Eisenhower's farewell address. It is unknown if Haney is the interviewer or interviewee.
Interview of Capt. Ralph E. Williams by James Leyerzapf
Partial transcript of an interview conducted by Eisenhower Presidential Library archivist James Leyerzapf with Ralph Williams. Williams served as a speechwriter for Eisenhower during his presidency. This portion of the interview relates to the term military industrial complex.