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.

  • Christy Goldfuss

    Environmental Policy Official

  • Bill McKibben

    Environmental Activist

  • Regina Benjamin

    Surgeon General

  • Nancy Sutley

    Environmental Policy Official

  • Bob Kocher

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Sarah Holway

    School Teacher and Food Policy Activist

  • Sandra Fluke

    Reproductive Health Advocate

  • Neera Tanden

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Lisa Jackson

    EPA Administrator

  • Kate Orff

    Landscape Architect

  • Joe Del Bosque

    Farmer

  • Kathleen Sebelius

    Secretary of Health and Human Services

  • Art and Helen Tanderup

    Farmers

  • Tom Harkin

    US Senator from Iowa

  • Max Baucus

    Ambassador and US Senator from Montana

  • Steven Chu

    Secretary of Energy

  • Aneesh Chopra

    US Chief Technology Officer

  • Peter Orszag

    White House Budget Director

  • Jeanne Lambrew

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Andrew Stern

    Labor Leader

Christy Goldfuss
Environmental Policy Official
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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    Surgeon General's role during ACA negotiations and H1N1 pandemic response Regina Benjamin
    03:56
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    First public use of "High Ambition Coalition" and the role of the US in climate negotiations Todd Stern
    26:25
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    Post-Obama administration political activism and healthcare advocacy Jim Houser
    06:48
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    Transition from HHS to NEC role in Affordable Care Act implementation Elizabeth Fowler
    02:04
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    Early efforts to build relationships with Congress for healthcare reform in 2009 Nancy-Ann DeParle
    04:30
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    Involvement in combining Senate health reform bills and the role of Max Baucus Kathleen Sebelius
    02:42
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    Challenges of integrating social research in landscape design projects Kate Orff
    05:52
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    Progress and challenges in implementing the Oyster-tecture project pre- and post-Superstorm Sandy Kate Orff
    06:55
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    Collaboration between CEQ and EPA during the Obama administration Christy Goldfuss
    02:01
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    Expectations on diminishing opposition to the Affordable Care Act post-implementation Elizabeth Fowler
    02:42
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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.

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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
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