# Walter Brattain

_American physicist (1902–1987)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/walter-brattain
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Walter Houser Brattain was an American physicist who shared the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics with John Bardeen and William Shockley for their invention of the point-contact transistor. Brattain devoted much of his life to research on surface states.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 10 February 1902 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184577#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Xiamen ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184577#P19))
- **Died:** 13 October 1987 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184577#P570))
- **Place of death:** Seattle ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184577#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184577#P27))
- **Occupation:** physicist; inventor ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184577#P106))
- **Education:** Whitman College; University of Oregon; University of Minnesota; Queen Anne High School; Tonasket High School; University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184577#P69))
- **Spouse:** Keren Gilmore Brattain; Emma Jane Miller ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184577#P26))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physics; Stuart Ballantine Medal; John Scott Award; National Inventors Hall of Fame; Richtmyer Memorial Lecture Award ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184577#P166))

## Questions

**When was Walter Brattain born?**  
Walter Brattain was born on 10 February 1902 in Xiamen.

**Where did Walter Brattain study?**  
Walter Brattain was educated at Whitman College, University of Oregon, University of Minnesota, Queen Anne High School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Walter Brattain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Brattain) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q184577](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184577) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Brattain.jpg by Nobel foundation (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brattain.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Walter Brattain, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Brattain.jpg — Nobel foundation, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Walter Brattain". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/walter-brattain. Retrieved 4 November 2026.