About
American physicist who co-invented, with John Bardeen and William Shockley, the transistor, a device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and electrical power. He won a Nobel Prize for his invention in 1956.
Before Fame
At 27 years of age he received his doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota.
Trivia
Writers for the TV show 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' named a ship after him: the USS Brattain.
Family Life
His first wife was Dr. Keren Gilmore; after her death he married Emma Jane Kirsch in 1958.
Associated With
His work was financed by Bell Laboratories, founded by Alexander Graham Bell.
