Conan O’Brien concluded his run on The Tonight Show this evening in the same way he has conducted himself throughout his run as an NBC late night talk show host — a class act to the end.

The NBC debacle has occupied many of the headlines over the past few weeks as Conan found himself to be the literal red-headed stepchild of the network. While he did direct some zingers toward his employers, he generally took the high road when it came to his predecessor (and successor), Jay Leno. He worked hard to reach a settlement that would best benefit his staff and crew, many of whom had followed him last spring from New York to L.A. And all the while he kept reminding his audience that although this was a disappointing turn of events, it didn’t begin to compare to the actual problems in Haiti and around the world in recent days, urging supporters to make financial contributions to support relief efforts.

Before Conan closed the show with the wail of a guitar to a classic rock anthem, he had this to say:

Truly a class act. Good luck, Conan. Your goofy charm, quirky intelligence, and upbeat humor have always been a winning combination for us. We’ll be waiting when you land your next gig.