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.

  • Sylvia Burwell

    OMB Director and HHS Secretary

  • Tom Harkin

    US Senator from Iowa

  • Cecile Richards

    Planned Parenthood President

  • Nancy-Ann DeParle

    White House Deputy Chief of Staff

  • Lisa Jackson

    EPA Administrator

  • Neera Tanden

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Michael Minor

    Pastor and Healthcare Advocate

  • Arun Majumdar

    ARPA-E Director

  • Robert Trapp

    Newspaper Publisher and Correspondent

  • Steven Chu

    Secretary of Energy

  • Bill McKibben

    Environmental Activist

  • Sandra Fluke

    Reproductive Health Advocate

  • Christy Goldfuss

    Environmental Policy Official

  • Don Verrilli

    Solicitor General

  • Elizabeth Fowler

    Health Policy Official

  • Kathleen Sebelius

    Secretary of Health and Human Services

  • Art and Helen Tanderup

    Farmers

  • Todd Stern

    Special Envoy

  • Nancy Nielsen

    American Medical Association President

  • Aneesh Chopra

    US Chief Technology Officer

Sylvia Burwell
OMB Director and HHS Secretary
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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
    Efforts to increase diversity in EPA staff and leadership Lisa Jackson
    03:16
  • go to the interview
    Perceptions and involvement of the AMA in health reform and medical ethics Nancy Nielsen
    01:24
  • go to the interview
    Personal opposition to pipelines through indigenous lands and sovereignty issues Robert Trapp
    01:09
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    Reflections on the impact of President Obama's rhetoric and the AMA's apology Carolyn Britton
    06:11
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    Experiences and challenges faced on Election Day and night during Obama's campaign Courtney Hight
    06:48
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    Environmental movement's response to the Keystone pipeline delay Bill McKibben
    01:28
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    Participation in Environmental Justice Working Group listening sessions and valuing local knowledge Nancy Sutley
    02:57
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    Being encouraged to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship Sylvia Burwell
    03:04
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    Participation in the Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Andrew Stern
    03:33
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    Excitement about broader policy role and working with Alyssa Mastromonaco as deputy chief of staff Nancy-Ann DeParle
    01:24
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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