In 1979, Dr. Norman H. Cromwell of the Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, became acting director of the Institute. Dr. Cromwell was instrumental in convincing the Nebraska Legislature about the merits of an increased cigarette tax to fund cancer research, which led to passage of LB506 in 1981. This bill provides investigator-initiated, RO1-type grant support.

The Eppley Cancer Center, now a National Cancer Institute Laboratory Cancer Research Center, began in the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine (UNMC) with funds from the Eugene C. Eppley Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the University of Nebraska.

Eugene C. Eppley was owner of the Eppley Hotels once the largest privately owned hotel chain in the U.S. In 1903, Eppley established the McKinley Hotel in Canton, OH that grew to become a chain of 22 hotels that was sold to Sheraton Hotels in 1958 for $30 million.