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Mary Golda Ross
Pioneering aerospace engineering as a Cherokee woman at Lockheed.
Aircraft engineering · Agena programme
- Born
- 9 August 1908
- Birthplace
- Park Hill, Oklahoma, United States
- Died
- 29 April 2008
More people
Mary Golda Ross
An American engineer whose work ranged from aircraft to spaceflight concepts. Much of her classified work remains unavailable to the public, while her advocacy for education is well documented.
Early life
Cherokee upbringing
Grew up in Oklahoma and was a great-granddaughter of Cherokee leader John Ross.
Mathematics
Studied mathematics and worked as a teacher before entering aerospace.
Career
- 1930s
Teaching
Taught mathematics and science and pursued further study.
- 1942
Lockheed
Joined the aircraft company during the Second World War.
- 1950s–1960s
Advanced projects
Worked in the Skunk Works environment and on space-related engineering.
- 1973 onward
Retirement and advocacy
Supported women and Native students entering technical careers.
Contributions
Aircraft engineering
Worked on problems involving high-performance aircraft.
Agena programme
Contributed to engineering associated with the Agena vehicle.
Flight planning
Worked on concepts for future spacecraft and missions.
Beyond engineering
Mentoring
Supported the Society of Women Engineers and Native American education.
Public recognition
Was commemorated on the 2019 Native American dollar coin.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Smithsonian biography ↗Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
Photo: unknown. Copyrighted image; source credit retained · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.