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.
  • Nicole Lurie

    Public Health Policy Official

  • Nancy Nielsen

    American Medical Association President

  • Jeremy Bash

    Intelligence and Defense Official

  • Katie Fallon

    Legislative Affairs Director

  • Macon Phillips

    Communications Official

  • Daniel Russel

    Foreign Policy Official

  • Jocelyn Frye

    East Wing Policy Director

  • Michael Steele

    Chair of Republican National Committee

  • Sasha Alston

    Advocate for Women in STEM and Author

  • Gregory Craig

    White House Counsel

  • Rumana Ahmed

    Public Engagement Official

  • John Holdren

    White House Science Advisor

  • Sylvia Burwell

    OMB Director and HHS Secretary

  • Katherine and David Grubb

    Drug Policy Advocates

  • Todd Stern

    Special Envoy

  • Steven Rattner

    Economic Policy Official

  • Patrick Gaspard

    Ambassador and Political Advisor

  • Ursula Burns

    CEO of Xerox

  • Valerie Jarrett

    Senior Advisor to the President

  • Doua Thor

    Public Engagement Official and Advocate

Nicole Lurie
Public Health Policy Official
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Interviews

Explore oral histories in the collection.

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Between 2019 and 2023 Incite at Columbia University 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
    2012 election strategy and regrets regarding voter registration in Arizona Jim Messina
    02:31
  • go to the interview
    Reflections on EPA community engagement from prior experience with the Superfund program Lisa Jackson
    02:52
  • go to the interview
    Receiving news of the San Bernardino shooting and subsequent information flow Jeh Johnson
    02:41
  • go to the interview
    Integrating climate change into US domestic and military national security strategy John Podesta
    07:00
  • go to the interview
    Coordination and communication during the BP oil spill response efforts John Holdren
    02:28
  • go to the interview
    Shaping USAID's vision and role during the Obama administration Gayle Smith
    02:02
  • go to the interview
    Supporting Obama's campaign with talking points and policy analysis Michelle Gavin
    02:31
  • go to the interview
    Involvement with Let's Move! and Let's Move Faith and Communities initiatives Michael Minor
    04:48
  • go to the interview
    Coordination between the administration and oil companies during oil spill responses Courtney Hight
    02:34
  • go to the interview
    Impact of Harold Washington's election and Fred Hampton's assassination on Black political empowerment in Chicago Bobby Rush
    04:41
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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.



Discover

Put thousands of stories in conversation with each other using our experimental collection visualizer.

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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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