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.

  • Tom Harkin

    US Senator from Iowa

  • Nancy Nielsen

    American Medical Association President

  • Gina McCarthy

    EPA Administrator

  • Joe Del Bosque

    Farmer

  • Sandra Fluke

    Reproductive Health Advocate

  • Steven Chu

    Secretary of Energy

  • Carolyn Britton

    National Medical Association President

  • Carol Browner

    Energy and Climate Policy Director

  • Bill McKibben

    Environmental Activist

  • Courtney Hight

    Environmental Advocate and Campaigner

  • Peter Orszag

    White House Budget Director

  • Nancy Sutley

    Environmental Policy Official

  • Christy Goldfuss

    Environmental Policy Official

  • Sarah Holway

    School Teacher and Food Policy Activist

  • Aneesh Chopra

    US Chief Technology Officer

  • Bob Kocher

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Lisa Jackson

    EPA Administrator

  • Art and Helen Tanderup

    Farmers

  • Jeanne Lambrew

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Neera Tanden

    Health Policy Advisor

Tom Harkin
US Senator from Iowa
43

Interviews released

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

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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.

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    Impact of the HELP Committee's Affordable Health Choices Act on Senate Finance Committee negotiations Elizabeth Fowler
    02:38
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    Organizing bipartisan common-ground breakfasts to address issues like opioid funding and the CURES Act Sylvia Burwell
    01:12
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    Coordinating the response to a crisis and avoiding an Obama administration "Katrina" Carol Browner
    02:30
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    Reflections on contributing to health care reform and the Affordable Care Act Nancy Nielsen
    02:52
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    SEIU's efforts to reform healthcare and build coalitions prior to the 2008 election Andrew Stern
    02:08
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    Shift in public conversation on healthcare reform during summer 2009 town halls Elizabeth Fowler
    02:14
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    Discussion on climate action plan post-storm with President Obama Heather Zichal
    02:42
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    Transition from Clinton to Obama administration and the concept of the E8 Todd Stern
    04:13
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    Public health outreach challenges in Bayou La Batre's diverse community Regina Benjamin
    03:39
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    Implementation of carbon credit trading and greenhouse gas reduction in Connecticut Gina McCarthy
    08:03
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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