On November 12, 2009, the George W. Bush Foundation announced that President George W. Bush selected the Miller Center at the University of Virginia to conduct a comprehensive oral history of his presidency.

President Bush said, “I am delighted that the Miller Center will record for history detailed interviews with key members of my administration. This oral history project will offer future generations a comprehensive look at what it was like to lead the country during some extraordinary challenges.”

Scholars of the George W. Bush Oral History Project are conducting interviews with key figures of the Bush White House and Cabinet, as well as with outside political advisers, members of Congress, and foreign leaders. The Miller Center plans to complete approximately 100 interviews.

The George W. Bush Oral History is a continuation of the work the Miller Center began in 1981 with its acclaimed Presidential Oral History Program, which has conducted extensive interview projects on Presidents Carter, Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Clinton. Each of these projects has been undertaken with the endorsement of the president being studied.

“The 43rd presidency was, by any standard, among the most consequential of all in American history. We intend to hear directly from those who led the country during an exceptional time, to find out what the Bush presidency looked like from the inside—including both its successes and failures,” said Professor Russell Riley, co-chair of the Miller Center’s Presidential Oral History Program.

Cleared transcripts will be released to scholars and the public after completion of the project and will be archived at the Miller Center's Scripps Library and at the George W. Bush Presidential Library.