The history of nonacademic staff in Western European and U.S. colleges is traced, and employment patterns at one major research university since 1924 are examined, since nonacademic personnel management is one concern of institutional researchers. Nonacademic staff are categorized as follows: professional nonfaculty, clerical/secretarial, technical paraprofessional, skilled crafts, and service/maintenance. A change in the employment structure of U.S. colleges in the late 1960s is attributed in part to a rise in scientific research and instruction, a concern for the well-being of students, and changes in business technology. The case study university created a nonacademic personnel office unit in 1956 when the most significant increase in nonacademic staff seemed to be for library and research staff and for laboratory and research technicians. By 1984 the most significant increase was for nonacademic professional staff, which represented nearly half the total nonacademic employees. Secretaries and clerical employees account for the largest single body of nonacademic employees. Today, the percentage of nonacademic staff is almost equal to the percentage of faculty. (SW)