Video: 'Jimmy Carter Farewell Address (January 14 1981)'

(Wednesday, January 14, 1981, 9:00 p.m. EST) — Six days before his term of office expired, U.S. President Jimmy Carter said farewell to the nation tonight in an address from the Oval Office in which he called on Americans to continue the struggle to avoid nuclear war, protect the environment and enhance human rights.

Stressing themes that were central to his presidency, Carter also cautioned against the intrusion of “single-issue groups and special-interest organizations” in the American political process, warning that “the national interest is not always the sum of all our single and special interests.’

In a departure from his prepared text, which had made no mention of the American hostages in Iran, Carter said he hoped and prayed that they would soon be released but said he could not predict when.

Other than that, in his 15-minute speech the President did not mention such issues as the hostage crisis and the economy that contributed to his defeat by Ronald Reagan last November. In many ways the address was reminiscent of the ideas and ideals Carter espoused in his campaign for the presidency four years before.