The Haskell Oriental Museum's construction was funded by Caroline E. Haskell, with William Rainey Harper as the director (he was also the president of the university) and James Henry Breasted as the assistant director. In 1894-95, Breasted purchased objects in Egypt for the collection but a substantial amount of the collection is the result of British excavations. Breasted encouraged the Chicago Women's Club to support Petrie's excavations and established the Chicago Society of Egyptian Research in 1897 to also raise funds for Petrie (Abt 2011: 68).

The benefaction of John D. Rockefeller Sr. and John D. Rockefeller Jr. allowed for the University of Chicago to mount their own excavations.