Mary Golda Ross (1908-2008 ) First Native Female American Engineer at Lockheed

Mary was the first Native American female engineer -she was the great-grand daughter of the Cherokee chief John Ross.
She was also the first female engineer in the history of the LockHead Corporation - aeroplane builders.

1928 , aged 20, earned BA in Mathematics. 1938 earn MA in Mathematics.
1949 obtained professional certification in engineering.

She began her career teaching maths and science for 9 years.

In 1941 relocated to California to seek work after the US joined WW11.
In 1942 Lockhead hired her as a mathematician.

She worked for Lockhead from 1942 until her retirement in 1973. She is best remembered for her work on aerospace design.
She was one of the 40 founding engineers of the renowned and secretive Skunk Works (Advanced Development Programme) team responsible for many aviation innovations ( eg. P-38 Lightning -then the world’s fastest aeroplane) and aerospace innovations (egs. Poseidon and Trident missiles).

In the 1950’s she was a founding member of the Society of Women Engineers.

When she retired she continued to recruit young women and Native American youth into engineering careers.

She lived to the age of 99.

She was held in such high regard her picture was placed on the reverse of the 2019 Sacagawea Dollar.