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.

  • Aneesh Chopra

    US Chief Technology Officer

  • Sarah Holway

    School Teacher and Food Policy Activist

  • Bob Kocher

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Jeanne Lambrew

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Don Verrilli

    Solicitor General

  • Melanie Bahnke

    Alaska Native and Arctic Issues Advocate

  • Nancy Nielsen

    American Medical Association President

  • Arun Majumdar

    ARPA-E Director

  • Frances Beinecke

    Environmentalist and Nonprofit Executive

  • Courtney Hight

    Environmental Advocate and Campaigner

  • Nancy Sutley

    Environmental Policy Official

  • Nancy-Ann DeParle

    White House Deputy Chief of Staff

  • Art and Helen Tanderup

    Farmers

  • Sylvia Burwell

    OMB Director and HHS Secretary

  • Kate Orff

    Landscape Architect

  • Christy Goldfuss

    Environmental Policy Official

  • Bill McKibben

    Environmental Activist

  • Zeke Emanuel

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Regina Benjamin

    Surgeon General

  • Gina McCarthy

    EPA Administrator

Aneesh Chopra
US Chief Technology Officer
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.

  • go to the interview
    Efforts to increase diversity in EPA staff and leadership Lisa Jackson
    03:16
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    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