Newton Minow shares memories of his relationship with Barack Obama, and reflects on the significance of Chicago to Obama's political career. Minow was a managing partner at Sidley Austin LLP in the 1990s, when Michelle Robinson worked at the firm, and when Obama worked at the firm as a summer intern. He shares stories about Barack and Michelle from that period, and illustrates Obama's charisma, con fidence, and intellectual attributes. Minow describes helping to introduce Obama to the important networks of business, political, and cultural leaders in Chicago that would later form the basis of his political support, and provides details about Obama's campaigns for the Illinois state legislature, Illinois' first congressional district, and U.S. Senate. Minow outlines the unique challenges Black politicians faced in Chicago and Illinois during the 1990s and early 2000s, and characterizes Obama's development as a political candidate. Minow, who served as the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission during the presidency of John F. Kennedy, also compares Obama to Kennedy, and reflects on the attributes the two presidents shared, and on the enthusiasm they both inspired
Presidents--United States; Chicago (Ill.) Politics and government; Minow, Newton N., 1926-; Obama, Barack; Obama, Michelle, 1964-; Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963; Sidley & Austin; United States. Federal Communications Commission
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2020
Physical Description
30 pages
Note (Biographical)
Newton Minow is an attorney who served as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission from 1961 to 1963 during the John F. Kennedy administration. Minow was a managing partner at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago in the 1990s, when both Michelle Robi nson and Barack Obama worked at the firm
Note
Interviewed by Adam Green on October 12, 2020. This interview is part of the University of Chicago: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Newton N. Minow, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2022