Presidential Oral Histories / Barack Obama

The Barack Obama Oral History Project

Obama Mother Emanuel speech
Watch one of Obama's most moving speeches

Barack Obama delivers a eulogy on June 26, 2015, for the Honorable Reverend Clementa Pickney, killed during a mass shooting at the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Substack
Was he always 'No Drama Obama'?

Barbara Perry writes that Barack Obama seemed to possess a preternatural coolness, confidence, logic, and eloquence that inspired the label “No Drama Obama” 
Mullen interview
'Would you please put that rosary ring back on?'

Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen describes his interactions with Vice President Joseph Biden, President Barack Obama, and Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta after Osama bin Laden was killed
Obama
Revelations from the Obama oral history project

Register to watch the opening keynote discussion about the Center's new Obama Oral History Project

 
President
Sheila Bair Oral History
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Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Melody Barnes Oral History
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Director of the Domestic Policy Council
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Dennis C. Blair Oral History, interview 1
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Director of National Intelligence
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Dennis C. Blair Oral History, interview 2
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Director of National Intelligence
Barack Obama Oral History Project
John Brennan Oral History, interview 1
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Homeland Security Advisor; Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Barack Obama Oral History Project
John Brennan Oral History, interview 2
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Homeland Security Advisor; Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Sylvia Mathews Burwell Oral History
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Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Secretary of Health and Human Services
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Jay Carney Oral History
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Director of Communications for the Vice President; White House Press Secretary
Barack Obama Oral History Project
James Clapper Oral History, interview 1
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Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Director of National Intelligence
Barack Obama Oral History Project
James Clapper Oral History, interview 2
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Director of National Intelligence
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Ann Compton Oral History
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Journalist; White House Correspondent
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Arne Duncan Oral History, interview 1
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Secretary of Education
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Arne Duncan Oral History, interview 2
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Secretary of Education
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Joseph Dunford Oral History, interview 1
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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Joseph Dunford Oral History, interview 2
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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Neil Eggleston Oral History, interview 1
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White House Counsel
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Neil Eggleston Oral History, interview 2
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White House Counsel
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Michael Froman Oral History, interview 1
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Deputy assistant to the president; deputy national security advisor for international economic affairs; U.S. Trade Representative
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Michael Froman Oral History, interview 2
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Deputy assistant to the president; deputy national security advisor for international economic affairs; U.S. Trade Representative
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Jason Furman Oral History, interview 1
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Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Jason Furman Oral History, interview 2
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Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Robert Gates Oral History, interview 1
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Secretary of Defense
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Robert Gates Oral History, interview 2
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Secretary of Defense
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Austan Goolsbee Oral History
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Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Sally Jewell Oral History
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Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior
Tommy Beaudreau, Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Michael L. Connor, Deputy Secretary of the Interior
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Cody Keenan Oral History
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Director of Speechwriting
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Ronald Kirk Oral History, interview 1
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U.S. Trade Representative
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Ronald Kirk Oral History, interview 2
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U.S. Trade Representative
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Ray LaHood Oral History
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Secretary of Transportation
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Jonathan McBride Oral History, interview 1
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Director of Presidential Personnel
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Jonathan McBride Oral History, interview 2
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Director of Presidential Personnel
Barack Obama Oral History Project
William McRaven Oral History
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Commander of U.S. Special Operations
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Mike Mullen Oral History, interview 1
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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Mike Mullen Oral History, interview 2
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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Cecilia Muñoz Oral History
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Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs; Director of the Domestic Policy Council
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Janet Napolitano Oral History
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Secretary of Homeland Security
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Peter Orszag Oral History, interview 1
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Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Peter Orszag Oral History, interview 2
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Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Kyle O’Connor Oral History
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Speechwriter
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Leon Panetta Oral History
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Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Secretary of Defense
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Tom Perez Oral History, interview 1
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U.S. Assistant Attorney General; Secretary of Labor; Democratic National Committee Chair
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Tom Perez Oral History, interview 2
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U.S. Assistant Attorney General; Secretary of Labor; Democratic National Committee Chair
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Tom Perez Oral History, interview 3
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U.S. Assistant Attorney General; Secretary of Labor; Democratic National Committee Chair
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Sarada Peri Oral History
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Special Assistant to the President and Senior Speechwriter
Barack Obama Oral History Project
David Plouffe Oral History
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Campaign Manager for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign; White House Senior Advisor
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Ben Rhodes Oral History, interview 1
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Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Ben Rhodes Oral History, interview 2
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Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Ben Rhodes Oral History, interview 3
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Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Mara Rudman Oral History
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Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs; Deputy Special Envoy for Middle East Peace
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Kathleen Sebelius Oral History
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Secretary of Health and Human Services
Barack Obama Oral History Project
James Steinberg Oral History, interview 1
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Deputy Secretary of State
Barack Obama Oral History Project
James Steinberg Oral History, interview 2
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Deputy Secretary of State
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Mona Sutphen Oral History
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Deputy Chief of Staff
Barack Obama Oral History Project
Terry Szuplat Oral History
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Speechwriter
Barack Obama Oral History Project