Obama Presidency Oral History
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Sylvia Burwell
OMB Director and HHS Secretary
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Tom Harkin
US Senator from Iowa
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Cecile Richards
Planned Parenthood President
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Nancy-Ann DeParle
White House Deputy Chief of Staff
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Lisa Jackson
EPA Administrator
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Neera Tanden
Health Policy Advisor
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Michael Minor
Pastor and Healthcare Advocate
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Arun Majumdar
ARPA-E Director
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Robert Trapp
Newspaper Publisher and Correspondent
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Steven Chu
Secretary of Energy
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Bill McKibben
Environmental Activist
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Sandra Fluke
Reproductive Health Advocate
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Christy Goldfuss
Environmental Policy Official
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Don Verrilli
Solicitor General
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Elizabeth Fowler
Health Policy Official
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Kathleen Sebelius
Secretary of Health and Human Services
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Art and Helen Tanderup
Farmers
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Todd Stern
Special Envoy
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Nancy Nielsen
American Medical Association President
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Aneesh Chopra
US Chief Technology Officer
Interviews released
Explore a special preview of interviews related to climate, energy, the environment, and healthcare.
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Tom
HarkinUS Senator from Iowa -
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Cecile
RichardsPlanned Parenthood President -
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Gina
McCarthyEPA Administrator -
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Bob
KocherHealth Policy Advisor -
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Kathleen
SebeliusSecretary of Health and Human Services -
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Steven
ChuSecretary of Energy -
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Bill
McKibbenEnvironmental Activist -
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Art and Helen TanderupFarmers
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Courtney
HightEnvironmental Advocate and Campaigner -
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Destiny
BlackmonNurse and Correspondent
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.
Learn moreStories
Each oral history interview contains dozens of stories. Explore these stories through prepared playlists—or save stories to make your own.
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Efforts to increase diversity in EPA staff and leadership Lisa Jackson03:16
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Perceptions and involvement of the AMA in health reform and medical ethics Nancy Nielsen01:24
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Personal opposition to pipelines through indigenous lands and sovereignty issues Robert Trapp01:09
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Reflections on the impact of President Obama's rhetoric and the AMA's apology Carolyn Britton06:11
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Experiences and challenges faced on Election Day and night during Obama's campaign Courtney Hight06:48
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Environmental movement's response to the Keystone pipeline delay Bill McKibben01:28
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Participation in Environmental Justice Working Group listening sessions and valuing local knowledge Nancy Sutley02:57
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Being encouraged to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship Sylvia Burwell03:04
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Participation in the Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Andrew Stern03:33
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Excitement about broader policy role and working with Alyssa Mastromonaco as deputy chief of staff Nancy-Ann DeParle01:24
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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go to the Climate, Environment, and Energy
Climate, Environment, and Energy
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go to the Healthcare
Healthcare
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CounterterrorismComing soon
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RussiaComing soon
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ScienceComing soon
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Financial Reform and RegulationComing soon
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LaborComing soon
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Inherited WarsComing soon
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Transparency and MediaComing soon
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Nuclear NonproliferationComing soon
Navigate
Navigate the interconnected events and places that make up this history, narrated by the stories of the people who lived it.
News& Events
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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
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read full text:
An Expansive View Into Obama’s Transformative Presidency
Caroline Harting in Columbia News.NewsRead more
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read full text:
The Obama Presidency Inside-Out: A Conversation About Climate
New York CityOn May 31, 2023, we gathered in New York City to celebrate the completion of the Obama Presidency Oral History project's fieldwork.EventRead more