A summary is given of the development of nuclear models, both for the description of structure and of scattering and reaction processes. The treatment is qualitative, and follows mainly the historical development. Models discussed are the liquid drop model, the potential well model for nuclear reaction processes, the compound nucleus model for nuclear reactions, and the shell model. Then a summary and comparison is made, followed by a brief sketch of the unified or collective model, which is a unification of the liquid drop and the shell model. Finally the nuclear optical model or complex potential well model is discussed.