Morrill Hall

Morrill Hall is a prominent museum located on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln campus, named after Justin Smith Morrill, the Vermont Senator who sponsored the Morrill Tariff Act and the Land-Grant College Act of 1862. The museum is part of the University of Nebraska State Museum and is situated near the Nebraska Union and the Sheldon Museum of Art. Morrill Hall is also close to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Arts and Sciences and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Education and Human Sciences. The museum's location allows for easy access to other Lincoln, Nebraska attractions, such as the Nebraska State Capitol and the Great Plains Black History Museum.

● History

Morrill Hall was established in 1871 as the University of Nebraska State Museum, with a focus on natural history and anthropology. The museum's early collections included specimens from Charles Bessey, a renowned botanist and University of Nebraska–Lincoln professor, as well as Henry Ward Poole, a paleontologist who worked with Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. Over the years, the museum has undergone several expansions, including the addition of the University of Nebraska State Museum's Herbarium and the Manter Laboratory of Parasitology, which was established by Harold W. Manter, a prominent parasitologist. Morrill Hall has also been involved in various paleontological expeditions, including those led by Roy Chapman Andrews and Barnum Brown, which have contributed to the museum's extensive collections of fossils from the Hell Creek Formation and the Lance Formation.

● Architecture

The building that houses Morrill Hall was designed by Davis and Wilson, a Lincoln, Nebraska architectural firm, and was completed in 1927. The Neoclassical-style building features a grand entrance hall with a rotunda and a dome-shaped skylight, similar to those found in the United States Capitol and the Nebraska State Capitol. The building's design is reminiscent of other Neoclassical-style buildings, such as the Smithsonian Institution Building and the Field Museum of Natural History. Morrill Hall's architecture has been influenced by the works of Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan, and its design reflects the Prairie School style, which is characteristic of Midwestern United States architecture.

● Collections

Morrill Hall's collections include over 1.5 million specimens, ranging from fossils of dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops to artifacts from Native American cultures, such as the Omaha people and the Ponca people. The museum's herbarium contains over 300,000 plant specimens, including those collected by Charles Bessey and Frederick Clements, a prominent ecologist. Morrill Hall's collections also include a significant number of insects, such as butterflies and beetles, which were collected by Henry Clinton Fall and Warren Edwin Melander, both renowned entomologists. The museum's collections have been used in research by scientists from institutions like the American Museum of Natural History, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Smithsonian Institution.

● Exhibitions

Morrill Hall features a variety of exhibits that showcase its extensive collections, including a dinosaur gallery with a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton and a mammal gallery with taxidermied specimens of bison and pronghorn. The museum also has an anthropology gallery with artifacts from Native American cultures, such as pottery and textiles, as well as an earth science gallery with geologic specimens and fossils from the Hell Creek Formation and the Lance Formation. Morrill Hall's exhibitions have been designed in collaboration with other museums, such as the University of Nebraska State Museum's Trailblazer Gallery and the Sheldon Museum of Art's Great Plains Art Museum. The museum's exhibitions have also been influenced by the works of Carl Akeley and Roy Chapman Andrews, both renowned naturalists and explorers.

● Education

Morrill Hall offers a range of educational programs for students and teachers, including workshops and lectures on topics like paleontology, anthropology, and ecology. The museum also provides resources for teachers, such as lesson plans and activity guides, which are designed to meet the Nebraska State Standards for science education. Morrill Hall's education programs have been developed in collaboration with other institutions, such as the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Education and Human Sciences and the Nebraska Department of Education. The museum's education programs have also been influenced by the works of John Dewey and Maria Montessori, both renowned educators and philosophers. Morrill Hall's education programs are designed to promote science literacy and critical thinking skills, and to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, such as paleontology, anthropology, and ecology.

Category:Museums in Nebraska