I’m going to assume that you, like a majority of humans, are familiar with the Apollo space missions, the Space Shuttle, and even the International Space Station. Now, I may be playing this a little fast and loose here, but I’m also going to assume you’ve probably never heard of Mary Golda Ross, whose (largely still highly classified) work played a vital role in the space race, helping propel the world into space travel.

The first Native American female engineer, Mary was one of the most prominent scientists of her time, yet we hardly ever hear about her. Working for over 30 years at Lockheed Martin, Mary started at a time when female engineers were unheard of. From fighter jets to missiles to interplanetary space travel, this chick could turn the unimaginable into reality. Born just five years after the first serious paper was published arguing space travel could theoretically be possible, Mary lived to see Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, the landing of the first Mars rover, and the creation of the International Space Station.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Ok, so maybe not in a different galaxy, but definitely some time ago. Mary Golda Ross was born on August 9, 1908 in Park Hill, Oklahoma to William Wallace and Mary Henrietta Moore Ross. As the the great-great-granddaughter of Chief John Ross, the longest serving Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation who led his people on the Trail of Tears, Mary came from quite a legendary lineage. A bright child from an early age, Mary was sent to live with her grandparents in Tahlequah, Oklahoma (also the capital of the Cherokee Nation) so she could benefit from the school system there in the city.