orn to William Wallace engineer in the State of California. BRoss, Jr. and Mary In 1950, Mary Golda Ross Henrietta Moore Ross, Mary became Lockheed’s 昀椀rst woman Golda Ross is the great-great engineer and her career sky granddaughter of Principal Chief rocketed . . . literally. She was John Ross of the Cherokee one of 40 engineers, and the Nation. The second of the 昀椀ve only woman, in Lockheed’s top Ross children—Curtis, Mary, secret Skunk Works program; Billie, Charles, and Robert— her mathematical and practical she was raised in Park Hill engineering skills were essential surrounded by family. as the company entered the space She graduated from Tahlequah and missile age; the conceptual High School at the age of 16 stages of the Discoverer space before earning three years later system were in a strong position her degree in Mathematics from because of her knowledge Northeastern State Teachers of space-based hardware; she College. While still taking classes contributed pioneering analyses she began teaching science and for the Mars and Venus 昀氀y-by mathematics, 昀椀rst at White Oak, missions; and assisted NASA then Osage, and 昀椀nally Barnsdall. in preparing its most notable During the summers she began Planetary Flight Handbook. taking graduate courses at Her career played out MARY GOLDA ROSS Colorado State Teachers College, on the pages of Lockheed’s PARK HILL enjoying every astronomy class internal publications, including o昀昀ered, and went to work for advertising distributed the Bureau of Indian A昀昀airs in worldwide, and in newspapers Washington, D.C. before relocating across the United States. She to New Mexico to become the had a following, people of all girls’ advisor at a school for Pueblo ages wanted to learn more and Navajo children. about her professional career In 1938 she graduated and the personal journey that with her master’s degree in led her to the pinnacle of a mathematics. At the urging of male-dominated 昀椀eld. She even her father she applied and was appeared on the popular “What’s hired as a mathematical research My Line” television show. assistant at Lockheed Aircraft She was named “Space Corporation. With the United Woman of the Year”; received the States entering World War II, coveted Phoebe Apperson Hearst she played an integral role in Gold Medallion Award; the correcting a design 昀氀aw in the P-38 Contributions to Engineering Lightning before becoming a and Scienti昀椀c Community registered mechanical professional Award presented by the Society 3232