As the university entered the 1940s, Morrill Hall continued to benefit from Mr. Childs Frick's generous donations. Field expeditions appeared to be very successful, with the addition of many specimens and even the discovery of a new giant camel species. The funding of fieldwork was a boon to the museum's reputation for research in the field of vertebrate paleology, and resulted in an increase in international visitors to the museum in the later 1930s, which Barbour took pains to point out to the chancellor and board of regents.

In 1942 Barbour retired from his position as director of the museum. This was well-noted by the public. Barbour had long been the face and champion of the museum, and his absence left a noticable gap. In his place, Bertrand Schultz took on the role of director of the Nebraska State Natural History Museum. Schultz was a respected choice for a replacement, due to his relationship with Barbour and his familiarity with Nebraska paleontology and geology. Schultz had been a student at Nebraska, and had been associated with the museum for 14 years previously. During this time the museum strove to maintain the reputation it had enjoyed under Barbour's leadership. Schultz continued Barbour's fieldwork and research in areas of paleontology and geology.