Presidential Farewell Speeches and Library Dedications

George Washington established a tradition of serving just two terms. Between Generalship of the Continental Army and serving as President from 1789 to 1797, George gave the best years of his life in service to his country, so he was justified in wanting to enjoy his final days at Mt. Vernon. Of all the subsequent Presidents who managed to be reelected to a second term, all of them respected the tradition set by Washington and would not seek a third term until Franklin Roosevelt, seeing conditions worsening in Europe, ran for and was elected to a third term in 1940, and a fourth in 1944.

The 22nd Amendment was clearly a reaction to FDR's four elections, even though the historical record seems to indicate that the American People were right to elect him every time. Since the passage of the Amendment, the transfer of power is expected, and therefore Administrations expect and prepare for it during their second term, if they win reelection This also means that the outgoing President will have a chance to tell the American People goodbye before fading into the pages of history.

Another, relatively recent tradition of leaving the office of the President is the establishment of a Presidential Library in the former President's home state. Traditionally, a President's personal papers and the documents associated with his term in office were considered the President's personal property. Some former Presidents recognized the historic importance of those papers and made arrangements for them to be stored, usually in the care of a major university, although they were under no obligation to do so. The papers could have been left in the care of a relative or simply destroyed.

Beginning with President Herbert Hoover, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has taken responsibility for preserving and curating the Presidential Records. Each Presidential Library is built with private funding although NARA maintains the facilities as well as administering the collection. The Libraries often serve as museums displaying items from the former President's personal life, and in many cases will serve as the President's final resting place. Exceptions include John Kennedy who was interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Lyndon Baines Johnson who was buried at his ranch in the Texas Hill Country, and Jimmy Carter who plans to be buried near his home in Plains, Georgia.

The Barack Obama Presidential Center, scheduled to open in the early 2020s, will be operated by the Obama Foundation and the University of Chicago rather than NARA.

• President Harry Truman's Farewell Address, speaking from the Oval Office, 10:30 pm, January 15, 1953. Truman acknowledges his successor and that when Ike begins his term Truman will be on an airplane, back to life as an ordinary American Citizen. 
• Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library Dedication, May 21, 1971, CBS News. Marching band music seems like a very appropriate backdrop for the dedication of a memorial to a Texas President. The Library is housed at the University of Texas at Austin. President Nixon speaks at the Dedication, accepting the Library on behalf of the American People. President Johnson states "This library will show the facts, not just the joy and triumphs, but the sorrow and failures, too."
• President Nixon Thanks His Staff in Last Speech Before Leaving Office, speaking from the East Room of the White House, August 9, 1974, CBS News coverage. The day after announcing his Resignation in an Oval Office Broadcast, Nixon takes an opportunity to speak to "the little people" who ran the White House. Although he is leaving the Presidency under a cloud of shame due to the Watergate Scandal, Nixon manages to treat the occasion with a degree of levity and the gratitude he expresses to the staff seems genuine.

See also:

• Presidential Before They Were Nominees
• President Inaugural Addresses
• Presidential and Political Funerals
• Presidential Campaigns
• Presidential Candidate Announcements
• Presidential Debates
• Presidential Election 2000
• Presidential Party Nominating Conventions
• Presidential Victory and Concession Speeches
• Presidential Christmas Addresses