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.

  • Carolyn Britton

    National Medical Association President

  • Kathleen Sebelius

    Secretary of Health and Human Services

  • Michael Minor

    Pastor and Healthcare Advocate

  • Peter Orszag

    White House Budget Director

  • Kate Orff

    Landscape Architect

  • Don Verrilli

    Solicitor General

  • Todd Stern

    Special Envoy

  • Carol Browner

    Energy and Climate Policy Director

  • Neera Tanden

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Sandra Fluke

    Reproductive Health Advocate

  • Heather Zichal

    Energy and Climate Advisor

  • Jeanne Lambrew

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Steven Chu

    Secretary of Energy

  • Robert Trapp

    Newspaper Publisher and Correspondent

  • Tom Harkin

    US Senator from Iowa

  • Lisa Jackson

    EPA Administrator

  • Sylvia Burwell

    OMB Director and HHS Secretary

  • Nancy Sutley

    Environmental Policy Official

  • Cecile Richards

    Planned Parenthood President

  • Bob Kocher

    Health Policy Advisor

Carolyn Britton
National Medical Association President
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.

Learn more

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
    Chairing the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force and community engagement Lisa Jackson
    05:41
  • go to the interview
    Family farm history and development since 1917 Art and Helen Tanderup
    02:59
  • go to the interview
    Reflections on leading Planned Parenthood during the Obama era and the importance of youth in movements Cecile Richards
    06:36
  • go to the interview
    Reflections on the 2008 Democratic primary and support for Hillary Clinton Sandra Fluke
    02:18
  • go to the interview
    Arranging a White House meeting amidst media misrepresentation Courtney Hight
    02:45
  • go to the interview
    Reflections on meeting with President-Elect Obama about environmental priorities Nancy Sutley
    03:37
  • go to the interview
    Involvement in state-secrets policy discussions and meetings with President Obama Don Verrilli
    03:33
  • go to the interview
    US-China relations: balancing economic interests and human rights concerns Max Baucus
    05:20
  • go to the interview
    Navigating legislative compromises on abortion during health reform discussions Neera Tanden
    09:02
  • go to the interview
    Exploring the relationship between the labor and environmental movements during the Obama administration Richard Trumka
    02:23
Explore all stories

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.

See more topics

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