Mary G. Ross
Mary G. Ross (1908–2008) was a distinguished Indigenous American mathematician and engineer, recognized for her groundbreaking contributions in the field of aerospace engineering. Born in Park Hill, Oklahoma, and of Cherokee heritage, she became the first female engineer at Lockheed Corporation and the first female Indigenous American engineer. Ross's educational journey began in the Cherokee Nation, where a strong emphasis on equal education for both boys and girls propelled her to earn a bachelor's degree in mathematics by the age of 20.
She initially taught high school before moving to Washington, D.C., to work with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. In 1942, Ross joined Lockheed, where she advanced her skills in aeronautical and mechanical engineering, contributing to significant projects such as the Polaris missile and systems for space exploration. Throughout her career, she was a strong advocate for women's and Indigenous education, emphasizing the importance of representation in STEM fields. After retiring in 1973, Ross continued her advocacy work, leading initiatives to increase participation among women and Indigenous Americans in science and engineering. Her legacy includes being inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Council Hall of Fame and having schools named in her honor, reflecting her lasting impact on future generations.
Subject Terms
Mary G. Ross
- Born: August 9, 1908
- Birthplace: Park Hill, Oklahoma
- Death: April 29, 2008
- Place of Death: Los Altos, California
- SUMMARY: Mary Ross was a prominent Indigenous American mathematician and engineer.
Mary G. Ross (1908–2008), an Indigenous American of Cherokee heritage, had a distinguished career as a mathematician, space scientist, and engineer. She was the first female engineer at the Lockheed Corporation and the first female Indigenous American engineer. Ross was born in the Oklahoma territory and, as a child, lived with her grandparents in the Cherokee Nation of Tahlequah to pursue her education. She often credited a strong family focus on equal education for boys and girls as crucial to her career. This family focus was also rooted in the importance of education to those in the Cherokee nation. At age 16, she enrolled in Northeastern State Teachers College (Oklahoma), receiving her bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1928. Ross taught high school mathematics and science in Oklahoma for nine years before moving to Washington, DC, to work as a statistical clerk in the US Bureau of Indian Affairs. Her talent and education were quickly recognized, and she was reassigned to work as an advisor (similar to a dean) for a coeducational Indigenous boarding school in Santa Fe, New Mexico (later to become the Institute of American Indian Art). At the same time, she pursued graduate studies in mathematics and astronomy, receiving her master’s degree from Colorado State Teachers College in 1942. Ross received numerous awards during her lifetime.
Aeronautical Engineering
In 1942, Ross began working as a mathematician at the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. She was given the opportunity to study aeronautical and mechanical engineering, taking evening classes at the University of California, Los Angeles, as well as an emergency war training course offered at Lockheed and, in 1949, received professional engineering classification as a mechanical engineer (there was no classification for aeronautical engineering at the time). As a research engineer at Lockheed, Ross worked on a number of projects related to transport and fighter aircraft and, in 1953, was chosen to be one of forty engineers who became the nucleus of Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, now known as Lockheed Martin. In this group, she worked on several missile systems, including the Polaris ballistic missile, which required her to work in the new field of hydrodynamics because the Polaris missile was designed to be launched underwater from a submarine.
Ross continued to advance at Lockheed, becoming a research specialist in 1958, an advanced systems engineer in 1960, and a senior advanced systems engineer in 1961. She worked on the Agena series of rockets and the Polaris reentry vehicle. She also helped develop criteria for missions to Mars and Venus, designing orbital space systems and interplanetary expeditionary systems and writing a volume of the NASA Planetary Flight Handbook. About her career, she said, “I have always considered my work a joint effort. I was fortunate to have worked on great ideas and with very intelligent people. I may have developed a few equations no one had thought of before but that was nothing unusual—everybody did that… it has been an adventure all the way.”
Other Accomplishments
Ross advocated for women’s and Indigenous American education after her retirement from Lockheed in 1973. Her great-great-grandfather was the chief of the Cherokee for forty years, and she expressed the idea that “there is a lot of ancient wisdom from Indian culture that would help solve the problems of today.” In 1992, Ross was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Council Hall of Fame. She was a founding member of the Society of Women Engineers and a key member of the Los Angeles section. Also, she worked to expand educational opportunities within the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and the Council of Energy Resource Tribes. Ross advocated for increasing the participation of women and Indigenous Americans in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. She was honored with a commemorative coin and had schools named in her honor.
Bibliography
"Mary G. Ross." US National Park Service, 4 Aug. 2023, www.nps.gov/people/mary-g-ross.htm. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
"Remembering Mary G. Ross - First American Indian Woman Engineer." All Together, 9 Aug. 2018, alltogether.swe.org/2018/08/remembering-mary-g-ross-first-american-indian-woman-engineer. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Reuther, Walter P. "Hidden Voices: Reaching for the Stars with Mary Golda Ross." The Morning Bell, 22 Nov. 2022, morningbellnyc.com/2022/hidden-voices-reaching-for-the-stars-with-mary-golda-ross. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.