Statue honoring Mary Golda Ross to be permanently displayed at the First Americans Museum - Cherokee Phoenix

TAHLEQUAH – The likeness of Cherokee Nation citizen and Native American aerospace engineer Mary Golda Ross will forever be memorialized as a statue at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City.

The statue came about thanks to OLAY, a company known for skin care products, and its partnership with Harper's Bazaar and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science in early February.

“OLAY hopes Mary Golda Ross’ story will continue to inspire many generations of women from all backgrounds to face anything and explore STEM careers to one day achieve gender equality in STEM,” the plaque on Ross’ statue states.

Unveiled on Feb. 23, the statue was designed with an eye on historical accuracy with help from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. The statue pays homage to Ross and her career and dedication to the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. It also acts as a way to inspire young learners to pursue careers in STEM.

“Mary encouraged everyone to seek education, because no one can ever take that from you. She pushed people to continuously better themselves and create their own opportunities through hard work and perseverance,” said The Mary Golda Ross Trust in a press release. “This statue will remind the public of what is possible when they believe in themselves, and push to break through glass ceilings.”

Ross was born in 1908 in Park Hill, and is the great-great granddaughter of Cherokee Nation Principal Chief John Ross. According to a Cherokee Phoenix article, after earning a mathematics degree at Northeastern State Teacher’s College in Tahlequah she taught math and science before pursuing a master’s degree.

In 1938, she earned her master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Northern Colorado and studied astronomy while doing so. In 1942, her efforts led her to working as a mathematician at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in California.

While at Lockheed, Ross consulted on projects for the P-38 Lightning fighter plane and when the space race began she became the first woman engineer among a team of 40 engineers to work in the top-secret Lockheed Skunk Works program.

According to an OLAY press release, Ross worked on the Agena rocket that was used in NASA’s Gemini human spaceflight program. Ross also contributed to the earliest studies of orbiting satellites, crewed Earth-orbit flights and created preliminary designs for flyby missions to Mars and Venus.

Ross retired from Lockheed in 1973, and continued to encourage young women and Native students to pursue careers in STEM fields. Ross died in 2008, at 99-years-old.

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https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/statue-honoring-mary-golda-ross-to-be-permanently-displayed-at-the-first-americans-museum/article_c3251f30-94b3-11ec-92da-571e6e67704e.html

2022-02-23 14:30:00Z
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