Lee Donates Andrus Campaign Collection to BSU
Former Andrus campaign staffer Steve Lee has given his decades-old memorabilia to the Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Steve Lee, a former volunteer and staff member for four-term Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus, donated his collection of campaign yard signs, posters, bumper stickers and buttons to the Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University. The collection includes items from a range of political campaigns, not only Andrus' bids for office.
Why it matters
Lee said the Andrus Center should hold the items rather than keep them himself, placing a piece of Idaho political history in a public institution. The donation preserves campaign materials that document grassroots political activity in the state.
The donated collection covers Andrus' four terms as Idaho governor, the period in which Lee volunteered and later worked on staff. The Andrus History Harvest is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST at the Boise State Albertsons Library, and the total item count was not reported.
The players
Andrus Center for Public Policy
The Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University is a research and public-engagement center named for former Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus, focused on public policy and civic education.
Cecil Andrus
Cecil Andrus was a four-term Governor of Idaho and a Democrat who later served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Jimmy Carter.
The details
Lee collected yard signs, posters, bumper stickers and campaign buttons during his years working for Andrus, and kept them for years before donating them to the Andrus Center. He will attend the Andrus History Harvest in person this weekend, where the collection is on display at the Boise State Albertsons Library.
Timeline
Saturday: Andrus History Harvest continues in Boise.
November 6, 2026: Andrus History Harvest held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST at the Boise State Albertsons Library.
Philanthropy Context
The donation places private campaign memorabilia into the archive of the Andrus Center for Public Policy, which is named for Cecil Andrus and runs public-facing history programming such as the Andrus History Harvest. Gifts like this extend the center's role as a repository for Idaho political history.
Residents of Boise and across Idaho can view the collection in person at the Andrus History Harvest, which is free to attend. The donation means the materials will be available through the Andrus Center rather than held in private hands.
The takeaway
Local history often survives through private donors who choose to give personal collections to public institutions. Lee's gift shows how everyday campaign materials can become lasting records of civic life.
Further reading
Explore more Philanthropy coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
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