Farewell speech


A farewell speech or farewell address is a speech given by an individual leaving a position or place. They are often used by public figures such as politicians as a to the preceding career, or as statements delivered by persons relating to reasons for their leaving. The term is often used as a euphemism for "retirement speech", though it is broader in that it may include geographical or even biological conclusion.
In the Classics, a term for a dignified and poetic farewell speech is apobaterion, standing opposed to the epibaterion, the corresponding speech made upon arrival.

U.S. presidential farewell addresses

Many U.S. presidential speeches have been given the moniker "farewell address" since George Washington's address in 1796. Some notable examples: