Obama Presidency Oral History

Incite at Columbia University
The Obama Presidency as told by 450+ officials, activists, organizers, and extraordinary people from all walks of life.

  • Aneesh Chopra

    US Chief Technology Officer

  • Kate Orff

    Landscape Architect

  • Elizabeth Fowler

    Health Policy Official

  • Nancy Sutley

    Environmental Policy Official

  • Sandra Fluke

    Reproductive Health Advocate

  • Robert Trapp

    Newspaper Publisher and Correspondent

  • Sarah Holway

    School Teacher and Food Policy Activist

  • Michael Minor

    Pastor and Healthcare Advocate

  • Gina McCarthy

    EPA Administrator

  • Andrew Stern

    Labor Leader

  • Don Verrilli

    Solicitor General

  • Tom Harkin

    US Senator from Iowa

  • Todd Stern

    Special Envoy

  • Bill McKibben

    Environmental Activist

  • Jeanne Lambrew

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Frances Beinecke

    Environmentalist and Nonprofit Executive

  • Regina Benjamin

    Surgeon General

  • Joe Del Bosque

    Farmer

  • Carol Browner

    Energy and Climate Policy Director

  • Arun Majumdar

    ARPA-E Director

Aneesh Chopra
US Chief Technology Officer
43

Interviews released

Explore a special preview of interviews related to climate, energy, the environment, and healthcare.

Explore all interviews

Since 2019, Incite at Columbia University has interviewed hundreds of people to produce the official oral history of the Obama presidency. These in-depth interviews, conducted with those inside and outside of the administration, represent roughly 1,100 hours of audio and video that together form a comprehensive record of the Obama years.

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Stories

Each oral history interview contains dozens of stories. Explore these stories through prepared playlists—or save stories to make your own.

  • go to the interview
    Decision to return to the Senate in 2008 for health reform efforts Elizabeth Fowler
    02:00
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    Challenges and Recovery Act's role in addressing Superfund site cleanups Nancy Sutley
    03:09
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    Assessment of the Obama administration's environmental and climate record Courtney Hight
    02:11
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    Impact of healthcare reform on US international image and values projection Kathleen Sebelius
    01:17
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    Appointment as ambassador to China and the political strategy behind it Max Baucus
    02:18
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    AMA's apology to NMA and early efforts to address healthcare disparities Carolyn Britton
    07:42
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    Transition from Obama administration to LA Department of Water and Power role Nancy Sutley
    03:29
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    Reflection on Planned Parenthood's mention in the 2012 presidential debates Cecile Richards
    03:23
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    Implementation of the open government initiative and the role of the CTO Aneesh Chopra
    03:36
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    Reflections on climate change discussions during the 2008 presidential campaign Nancy Sutley
    04:54
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Topics

From healthcare to the financial crisis to nuclear nonproliferation, each topic explored in this collection is brought to life by narrators from both inside and outside the Obama administration.

  • go to the Climate, Environment, and Energy
    Climate, Environment, and Energy
  • go to the Healthcare
    Healthcare
  • Counterterrorism
    Coming soon
  • Russia
    Coming soon
  • Science
    Coming soon
  • Financial Reform and Regulation
    Coming soon
  • Labor
    Coming soon
  • Inherited Wars
    Coming soon
  • Transparency and Media
    Coming soon
  • Nuclear Nonproliferation
    Coming soon
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Navigate

Navigate the interconnected events and places that make up this history, narrated by the stories of the people who lived it.



2009-17

Timeline
Map

News& Events

  • read full text: What a New Oral History Reveals About Obama, and the Tradeoffs He Made
    Peter Baker in The New York Times.
    NewsRead more
  • read full text: An Expansive View Into Obama’s Transformative Presidency
    Caroline Harting in Columbia News.
    NewsRead more
  • read full text: The Obama Presidency Inside-Out: A Conversation About Climate
    New York City
    On May 31, 2023, we gathered in New York City to celebrate the completion of the Obama Presidency Oral History project's fieldwork.
    EventRead more
See more news