Origins & Early Life

Walter Houser Brattain ( BRAT-n; February 10, 1902 – October 13, 1987) 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. Walter Houser Brattain was born on February 10, 1902, in Amoy (now Xiamen), Fujian, China, to American parents, Ottilie (née Houser) and Ross R. Brattain.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His father was of Scottish descent, while his mother's parents were both immigrants from Stuttgart, Germany. Ross was a teacher at the Ting-Wen Institute, a private school for Chinese boys. Ottilie was a gifted mathematician. Both were graduates of Whitman College. Ottilie and baby Walter returned to the United States in 1903, and Ross followed shortly afterward.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The family lived for several years in Spokane, Washington, then settled on a cattle ranch near Tonasket, Washington, in 1911. Brattain attended high school in Washington, spending one year at Queen Anne High School, two years at Tonasket High School, and one year at Moran School for Boys. He then attended Whitman College, where he studied under Benjamin...

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• 1902 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1902
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• 1987 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1987
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