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

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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.



2009-17

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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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