The University: Eisenhower's Warning Reconsidered

Abstract

Upon leaving office in 1961, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his often‐quoted farewell address, in which he warned about the “military‐industrial complex.” Less well‐known is his warning, in the same address, concerning the university. This paper examines the relevance of Eisenhower's warning to current conditions within the university. Examples are drawn from the field of water resources engineering. It is argued that the university as a social institution has characteristics not found in other institutions, and that these enable it to make unique contributions to society. These unique characteristics and contributions, however, may be lost because, contrary to Eisenhower's warning, the quest to obtain outside funding has become a virtual substitute for intellectual curiosity and critical inquiry. The consequences, in Eisenhower's words, are “gravely to be regarded.”