Mary Golda Ross

Math That Flies

Mary Golda Ross was born in 1908 in Park Hill, Oklahoma. She was a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and her great-grandfather was John Ross, a famous Cherokee chief. Mary loved math, and she earned a college degree in it when she was only 20 years old.

For about ten years Mary taught math and science in Oklahoma schools. Later she worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, first as a statistician and then as an advisor to girls at the Santa Fe Indian School in New Mexico. She kept studying too, and earned a master's degree in math.

In 1942 the Lockheed aircraft company hired Mary as a mathematician. She helped study problems the fast P-38 Lightning fighter plane ran into during high-speed dives. Lockheed asked her to stay on, and she took classes to become an engineer.

In 1952 Mary joined Lockheed's top-secret Skunk Works team. She was the only woman among its first group of about 40 engineers. She helped with plans for the Agena rocket and wrote about how spacecraft could travel to Mars and Venus. Much of her work was classified — kept secret for safety.

Part 1 · Reading Comprehension

Part 2 · Math Challenge: Check the Numbers

Engineers like Mary check every number before anything flies. Solve these rocket problems. Show your work in the box.

Part 3 · Think About It