Young Learners’ Series — Mary Golda Ross

June’s Young Learners’ Series features Cherokee engineer Mary Golda Ross, the great-great granddaughter of Principal Chief John Ross. Born in 1908, Ross graduated college with a mathematics degree & studied astronomy while earning her master’s degree. She worked for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation during World War II & helped develop a fighter plane. When the space race began, Ross became the first woman to work on a top-secret program — she was on a team of 40 engineers. She is recognized as the first Native American female engineer.