Mary Golda Ross

Mary Golda Ross (August 9, 1908 – April 29, 2008) was a Cherokee and American aerospace engineer. She worked at the Lockheed Corporation from 1942 until her retirement in 1973, where she was best remembered for her work on aerospace design. Throughout her life, Ross was dedicated to the advancement of young women and Native Americans in STEM fields. Ten years after her death, in 2018, Ross was chosen to be depicted on the 2019 Native American $1 Coin by the U.S. Mint celebrating Native Americans in the space program.

Early life and education Mary G. Ross was born in the small town of Park Hill, Oklahoma, the second of five children of William Wallace Ross Jr and Mary Henrietta Moore Ross. She was the great-granddaughter of the Cherokee Chief John Ross. John Ross was influential in the creation of the new settlement in Oklahoma following the removal of Native Americans from their land under Andrew Jackson. This settlement for the Cherokee Nation was complete with a school and government.

A talented child, she was sent to live with her grandparents in the Cherokee Nation capital of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, to attend primary and secondary school. When she was 16, Ross enrolled in Northeastern State Teachers' College in Tahlequah. She earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1928, at age 20. In 1938, Ross received her master's degree in mathematics from Colorado State Teachers College, now known as the University of Northern Colorado, in Greeley. While obtaining her Master's, Ross still took as many astronomy classes as were offered to satisfy her intense fascination with space.

In 1936, Ross took the civil service examination to work for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in Washington, D.C., as a statistical clerk. While she was working at the boarding school, Ross was working towards completing her Master's in mathematics. Throughout her career, Ross helped to solve numerous design issues involved with high speed flight and issues of aeroelasticity for fighter jets. The work done by Ross and her team for the Skunk Works project was highly confidential, and even now, most of the specifics are still classified. Ross played an important role in research and performance evaluation of ballistic missiles and other new defense technologies for this new branch. It was also during this time that Ross made important discoveries for advancing technology related to submarine launched spacecraft and defense systems that would apply to the Polaris project. The Agena was used as a rendezvous and docking spot for the Gemini team. This project came to fruition in 1966 when it was launched into space and had a successful mission. Ross contributed to the NASA Planetary Flight Handbook Vol. 3. and worked to recruit young women and Native American youth into engineering careers. Since the 1950s, she had been a founding member of the Society of Women Engineers. This society focuses on aiding in the development of other young women in their pursuit of a career in engineering by providing mentoring, scholarship, and community to young women. This endowment was left to continue her legacy of support and celebration for Native Americans. Peninsula Woman of the Year, by the women's communications society Theta Sigma Phi Woman of Achievement Award, California State Federation of Business and Professional Clubs, 1961 Fellow and life member of the Society of Women Engineers. Google Doodle on August 9, 2018 Ross is pictured on the reverse of the 2019 Sacagawea Dollar.