Dwight D. Eisenhower's Farewell Address - Military Industrial Complex January 17, 1961

"This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence—economic, political, even spiritual—is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist".

President of the United States (and five-star general during World War II) Dwight D. Eisenhower used this term in his Farewell Address to the Nation on January 17, 1961.