Exhibit 99.1
                                                                    News Release

PR Media:                                            Financial:
Jeff Weir                                            Jim Foltz
National Semiconductor                               National Semiconductor
(408) 721-5199                                       (408) 721-5693
jeff.weir@nsc.com                                    invest.group@nsc.com

National Semiconductor Announces Purchase of 7.5 Million Shares
As Part of $400 Million Stock Buy-Back Program

SANTA  CLARA,  Calif.,  September 9, 2003 - National  Semiconductor  Corporation
(NYSE:NSM)  today  announced  that it has  purchased  approximately  7.5 million
shares of the company's common stock through a privately negotiated  transaction
with a major financial institution.  This purchase was done pursuant to the $400
million stock buy-back program announced on July 30, 2003.

National  Semiconductor had 184 million shares of common stock outstanding as of
May 25, 2003, the end of its fiscal
2003.

About  National  Semiconductor  National  Semiconductor  is the  premier  analog
company  driving  the  information   age.   Combining   real-world   analog  and
state-of-the-art  digital  technology,  the  company is focused on  analog-based
semiconductor products,  which include stand-alone devices and subsystems in the
areas of power management,  imaging, display drivers, audio, amplifiers and data
conversion.  The company  targets key markets such as wireless,  displays,  PCs,
networks and a broad range of portable applications.  With headquarters in Santa
Clara, California,  National reported sales of $1.67 billion for its most recent
fiscal  year.  Additional  company and product  information  is available on the
World Wide Web at www.national.com. # # #

National Semiconductor is a registered trademark.