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
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.

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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
    Challenges in promoting energy efficiency and clean-energy jobs through home retrofits Nancy Sutley
    03:01
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    Impact of Gingrich and Reagan on public and congressional trust in government and science Carol Browner
    02:03
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    Challenges in advancing the construction of the smart grid and federal agency coordination Nancy Sutley
    05:52
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    Reflecting on disagreements with and respect of Larry Summers Steven Chu
    02:20
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    Contentious issues in healthcare reform negotiations between Democrats and Republicans Elizabeth Fowler
    03:01
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    Early interest in public service and political involvement Nancy-Ann DeParle
    02:58
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    Strategies for unionization and creating a home care authority in California Andrew Stern
    02:26
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    Reflections on confirmation hearing and the formation of ARPA-E success metrics Arun Majumdar
    03:03
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    Challenges in promoting less exciting but impactful energy innovation programs like SunShot Arun Majumdar
    10:05
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    Transition to Obama administration's energy and environment policy work Carol Browner
    01:03
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.

  • go to the Climate, Environment, and Energy
    Climate, Environment, and Energy
  • go to the Healthcare
    Healthcare
  • Arts and Humanities
    Coming soon
  • The People's House
    Coming soon
  • Republican Opposition
    Coming soon
  • LGBTQ Policy
    Coming soon
  • Democrats
    Coming soon
  • Gun Control
    Coming soon
  • Black Politics
    Coming soon
  • Asia Rebalance
    Coming soon
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.



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