Once upon a time, in the heart of the Cherokee Nation, a young girl named Mary Golda Ross gazed up at the night sky. The stars whispered secrets to her, promising adventures beyond imagination. Little did she know that her destiny would be woven into the fabric of the cosmos itself.
Mary was born on August 9, 1908, in the small town of Park Hill, Oklahoma. Her lineage traced back to the great Cherokee Chief John Ross, a man who had fought for his people’s rights during the tumultuous era of Native American removals. The spirit of resilience flowed through Mary’s veins, and she carried it with her as she embarked on her educational journey.
At just 16 years old, Mary enrolled in Northeastern State Teachers’ College in Tahlequah. Her passion for mathematics burned brightly, and she earned her bachelor’s degree at the tender age of 20.
But Mary’s hunger for knowledge knew no bounds. She pursued her master’s degree in mathematics from Colorado State Teachers College (now known as the University of Northern Colorado) in Greeley. Her mind soared like an eagle, hungry for the mysteries of the universe.
In 1942, after a teaching career and working a stint at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Mary joined the Lockheed Corporation, a place where dreams took flight.
She became the first female engineer in Lockheed’s history, shattering glass ceilings with her brilliance. But Mary wasn’t content with mediocrity; she aimed for the stars—quite literally.
Her journey led her to the secretive "Skunk Works" project, a clandestine group of engineers working on cutting-edge aerospace designs. Mary was one of the 40 founding engineers, and her mind danced with possibilities.
Preliminary designs for interplanetary space travel, crewed earth-orbiting flights, and orbiting satellites—all sprang forth from her mathematical genius.
Mary’s legacy extended beyond equations and blueprints. She championed young women and Native Americans in STEM fields, urging them to reach for the skies. Her advocacy echoed through time, inspiring generations to come.
After retiring in 1973, Ross lived in Los Altos, California 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.
She also supported the American Indians in Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and the Council of Energy Resource Tribes by expanding their educational programs.[12]
At age 96, wearing her "first traditional Cherokee dress" of green calico made by her niece, Ross participated in the opening ceremonies of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
Mary passed of natural causes at the age of 99 in Los Altos, Santa Clara County, California. Her remains were returned to her beloved Park Hill and she was interred in the John Ross Cemetery in park Hill. Her grave can be found right next to the gravel roadway that encircles the historic resting grounds of a number of important members of the Cherokee tribe.
Upon her death in 2008, she left a $400,000 endowment to the  National Museum of the American Indian. This endowment was left to continue her legacy of support and celebration for Native Americans.
She is buried to the left of and just outside the fenced-in area containing the grave of Chief John Ross.
Her simple headstone depicts a rocket ship with the inscription "She reached for the stars".
In 2018, a decade after her passing, Mary was honored on the 2019 Native American $1 Coin by the U.S. Mint. Her face graced the currency, a beacon for those who dared to dream. The stars, once her confidantes, now twinkled in approval.
And so, Mary Golda Ross became more than an engineer; she became a constellation—a guiding light for those who yearned to explore the cosmos. Her name echoed across the vastness of space, reminding us that barriers are meant to be broken, and dreams are meant to soar.
