Charles Morrill was unable to stand and deliver his own message at the May 28, 1927 dedication, so his son, Arthur Morrill, read a letter he prepared for the occasion. Morrill Hall bears his family name, built from a small collection into a true museum designed from the ground to be a public display of the history of Nebraska and Nebraska's natural science.

While the Museum has spread to additional locations around Lincoln, Morrill Hall remains the public contact point, and every year thousands of school children visit on field trips from communities all over Nebraska. Few children in Nebraska have not had the joy of a visit to "Elephant Hall."