1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha. I'm not going to 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:18,639 Speaker 1: Stephane never told your production of I Heart Radio. And 3 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 1: it is time for another female first, which means we 4 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: are once again joined by the fabulous, delightful Eves. Welcome Eaves. Hello, Yeah, y'all. 5 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: This is our first recording of three. That's exciting. I'm 6 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: excited for this one. Last time we spoke, we were 7 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 1: talking about how we hoped New Year's would go, how 8 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 1: we hoped it would be. How has your kind of 9 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: New Year's been, Eaves, How did it go so far? 10 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: And we're just a couple of weeks, and but I 11 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: am liking it so far. Um Like, uh, there have 12 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: been many ups and downs. They're often are throughout the 13 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 1: rest of the year as well. But I'm having fun, 14 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: you know, I'm having fun. I feel optimistic, which I 15 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: think is a good thing at the beginning of the year. 16 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: But I'm also like still like it's the beginning of things, 17 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: but also the middle of things and the end of 18 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: other things, so it's like it's just a continuation, you know. 19 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 1: So I think there are a lot of things that 20 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: I'm looking forward to for the rest of the year, 21 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: but also things that I'm in progress on that feels good, 22 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: and I think I'm in a good mind state, which 23 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 1: I think is the most important part because like all 24 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: of those fluctuations, you know, all of those things that 25 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: upstanded downs, like trying to find a middle in the 26 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,279 Speaker 1: middle of them, and I think that I am doing 27 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: a fairly good job at using the tools that I 28 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: have to stay in that middle way. So I'm feeling 29 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: I'm feeling good about it, nice good place. Yeah, yeah, 30 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: it is. We were talking about it before and how 31 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: the kind of like New Year, I'm going to change 32 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: all this stuff about me is just not very realistic 33 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: for a lot of reasons. Um, I'm very stressful. Uh. 34 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: I will say, you know, one thing I didn't have 35 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: the New Year I really wanted in the way that 36 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: I wanted. I did get to stay by myself, which 37 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: was like my goal, but it wasn't the relaxing thing 38 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: I wanted because I don't there were just a lot 39 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: of things going on that I was in the middle 40 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: of and that it's not like they stopped. But you know, 41 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: if a small victory is I really adapted quickly to 42 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: writing the New Year. I haven't had an issue with it, 43 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: so I don't think that. Look at you, that's progress, right, 44 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: I'll take it. That's proper. Okay, how about us a 45 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: bit then? Oh yeah, I definitely did nothing. Like we 46 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: had a slight moment of like should we do something, 47 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: and they were like, now, and we think we pretty 48 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,959 Speaker 1: much missed the New Year's moment. We're supposed to do 49 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: the champagne toast or whatever because we were streaming and 50 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: didn't realize with like two or three minutes behind, like 51 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: it was supposed to be live, but it definitely wasn't live. 52 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,959 Speaker 1: And we're like, oh, whoops, happy New Year. Maybe that 53 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,399 Speaker 1: maybe like the new Year. That's I don't know, that's 54 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: a bad omen or what wherever, just two or three 55 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: minutes behind from ever for the rest of the year. 56 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: So if that happens, sorry in advance, that's what I 57 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: should play. There you go. It was funny because if 58 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: vibe I got this year from a lot of people 59 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: was I went to bed at ten pm. I was 60 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: watching a movie from the year Shifted, and then we 61 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: can continued on, continued on. But I am very excited 62 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: about the person you bought today, who I know we've 63 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: talked about this before, but I love I'm a very 64 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: I love science and I love space and all that 65 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. So I'm like, very, very thrilled to 66 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: have this conversation. Who did you bring for us Today's 67 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: So today we are talking about Mary Golda Ross. So 68 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: I'm sure you, being the lover of things all things 69 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: science and space, that you'll probably understand a lot more 70 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: necessarily to the aeronautics and engineering that she did. Because 71 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 1: I have to admit upfront that Mary Golda Ross was 72 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: an engineer, and I do not understand the subject matter 73 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: that is, um, the subject of her expertise, so um, 74 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 1: it is far and beyond my knowledge base. But I 75 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: do understand the significance of her accomplishments, being that she 76 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: was the first known Native American woman engineer in the 77 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 1: United States and she was the first female engineer in 78 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: the history of Lackey. Yeah. Yeah, well, I mean I think, 79 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 1: disclaimer inside, you always do so well at you, so 80 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: I have complete faith in you. But that's what I 81 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: love this kind of stuff because I just think it's 82 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 1: fascinating and even if you know we're not engineers, it's 83 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 1: still exciting and cool to talk about and think about. Yeah, sure, yes, 84 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: absolutely so shall we get into her history. Yeah, let's so. 85 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: Mary Golder Ross was born on August nine in nineteen 86 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: o eight, and just for a little bit of background 87 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: of the time. The year before she was born, Oklahoma 88 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: had become a state. Up until that point, Oklahoma was 89 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: a territory of the United States. And she has some 90 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: um in terms of her Native American lineage, people who 91 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: were pretty notable and some of the um situations that 92 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 1: were happening in the United States before her time, when 93 00:05:55,720 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: it came to the struggles that Native Americans were going through, 94 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: when it came to education, um, dispossession um, and all 95 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 1: of those things related to how they were being pushed 96 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: out of the eastern what we now call the United 97 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: States and to the west. Being that her great great 98 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: grandfather was Chief John Ross, who was at one time 99 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. That was from around 100 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: eight to eighteen sixty six when he held that position, 101 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: and her mother was Mary Henrietta Moore Ross and her 102 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: father was William Wallace Ross, Jr. And so both of 103 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: them were listed on the Dodge role as quote Cherokee 104 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: by blood um. So Mary was one of five children. 105 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:46,039 Speaker 1: She didn't have siblings and UH members of the Cherokee Nation, 106 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 1: including some of Mary's ancestors, were forcibly removed from what 107 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: is now the Eastern US to what is now Oklahoma, 108 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: so that it was part of her lineage specifically UM. 109 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 1: But that's the history of all of the peoples who 110 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: were dispossessed, who fought against it, and who were forced 111 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: out under the Indian Removal Act and sent away from 112 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: their homelands to lands west of the Mississippi River on 113 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: the Trail of Tears. So Mary herself grew up in 114 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: park Hill in Oklahoma, and she took a liking very 115 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: early on to math and science, and a profile that 116 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: someone named Laurel M. Shepherd wrote, she was quoted as 117 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: saying math was more fun than anything else. It was 118 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: always a game to me, which just pausing for my aside. 119 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: I really loved math. But I feel like saying it 120 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: was a game to her is a flex because it 121 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: always it almost makes it feel like nobody needed to 122 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: teach her the math, like she just knew it somehow inherently, 123 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: that it was a game, because no matter, I feel like, 124 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: no matter how much you enjoy math, it's still a 125 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: difficult learn um skill that requires a lot of application 126 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: and time and dedication to understand, especially since there are 127 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: so many different branches of math. So I just really 128 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: appreciate it saying that, yeah, I agree with that. To me, 129 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: like when we talk about math and people who love 130 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: math and truly understand math, they talk about it like 131 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: it's a different language that I do not know, and 132 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: I just sit there and stare at them. I'm like, 133 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: I know multiplication. I used to do that really well 134 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: in like second grade. That was my thing. That's where 135 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:32,439 Speaker 1: I kept understanding, like looking at number three, like this 136 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: is such a this formula means this, and this can 137 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: begind this and that translates into like, yeah, making machines 138 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 1: and making cimicals and making medicines, and I'm like, I don't, 139 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: I don't, I don't know what's happening. But yeah, it's 140 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: definitely a flex a flex I was. I have been 141 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 1: humbled many times, and I'm definitely not as involved in 142 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: it now as I used to be. But there was 143 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: a very brief period in high school when I was 144 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: on the math team, and I really very quickly that 145 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 1: I loved it and I understood it and could do it, 146 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: but I could not do anything nearly as quickly as 147 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: everyone else could. Everyone was so fast, and doing things 148 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: fast is not my m O. So yeah, I really 149 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: I'm appreciative of her saying that it felt like a game, 150 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: because I don't know if she was fast or not, 151 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: but I would imagine she probably was, you know, because 152 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 1: she was a mathematician and did that work in her 153 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: day to day. So yeah, but she um. She graduated 154 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: from high school at age sixteen, so she was fast 155 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: in doing that, and in she went on to Northeastern 156 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:46,680 Speaker 1: State Teachers College in Oklahoma, and according to an article 157 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: and Italicua Daily Press, she wasn't familiar with the term 158 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 1: quote unquote major when she was enrolled, so when they 159 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: asked her what her favorite subject was, she said math. 160 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: And that's the story of how she became a math major. 161 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,199 Speaker 1: She said, quote, I was the only female in my class. 162 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: I sat on one side of the room and the 163 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: guys on the other side of the room. I guess 164 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: they didn't want to associate with me, but I could 165 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:14,079 Speaker 1: hold my own with them and sometimes did better. End quote. 166 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: So she graduated from that school in night with the 167 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: b a m. Math and for the following nine years 168 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,120 Speaker 1: she taught math and science in nearby high school, so 169 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: she went directly from her own learning and learning to 170 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:45,719 Speaker 1: teach into her teaching practice. In seven, there was a 171 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: point where she took a Civil service exam and then 172 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 1: she went on to work as a statistical clerk for 173 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 1: the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, d c. And 174 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 1: if you're not familiar with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 175 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:00,559 Speaker 1: that is just a federal agency that hand those tasks 176 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: related to Native American policy and land and laws and 177 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: things like that. And Mary was also a girls advisor 178 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: at a Native American school in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 179 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: But she had taken math classes during the summers while 180 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: she was teaching in Oklahoma, and so she ended up 181 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: going on to get her master's degree from Colorado State 182 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: Teachers College in ninety eight. And while she was going 183 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: to that college, she also took astronomy classes, so she 184 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: was already developing all of her interests in astronomy and 185 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:40,200 Speaker 1: an aviation while she was taking her math classes and 186 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,959 Speaker 1: getting her math education. So she found out at one 187 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: point that Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, which was in Bourbank, California, 188 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:52,839 Speaker 1: was looking for workers that had a background that was 189 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: similar to the background that she had, so she knew 190 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: that she could fit the bill for working there, so 191 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: she got the job. She moved to California and soon 192 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:05,439 Speaker 1: began working as an assistant to a consulting mathematician. So 193 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 1: as part of her work in the engineering department, she 194 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 1: helped work on problems that were related to things like 195 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,120 Speaker 1: fighter planes, and she worked on a design issue with 196 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: the P thirty eight Lightning fighter for instance. Was one 197 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 1: of the things that she worked on early on in 198 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 1: her time there, and her work was so value that 199 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 1: Lockheed asked her to keep working for them once the 200 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: war was ending. And while she was working at Lockey, 201 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 1: she took courses at the University of California and she 202 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 1: got her certification for mechanical engineering in nineteen forty nine. 203 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: In the nineteen fifty two that was when Lockheed formed 204 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 1: a missile systems division and Mary became one of its 205 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 1: first forty employees. And this is where her first comes 206 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,319 Speaker 1: in because at that point she was the only woman 207 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: engineer and the only known Native American in Skunk Works, 208 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 1: which was the name for this group at Lockheed, and 209 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: that name skunk Works was just a nod to their 210 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 1: listed ideal working conditions. UM. That was based on a 211 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: joke from the comic strip which was called Little Abner. 212 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 1: There was like, uh, they used the terminology skunk works 213 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: in that comic strip, and that ended up morphing into 214 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 1: the name skunk works because of the smell that was 215 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: coming from a nearby place. And they were working in 216 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: like a makeshift like a a circus tent that they 217 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: had to buy. They were kind of this fly by 218 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 1: the seat of the pants kind of like operation within 219 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: the company. Anyway, that group was a precursor to Lockheed 220 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: Missiles in Space Company. So Mary worked during World War 221 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 1: Two and into the Cold War and the Space Race, 222 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:46,440 Speaker 1: which was clearly a very charged period in American history 223 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: when it comes to innovation, very different than today's priorities 224 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:57,679 Speaker 1: UM and funding, and was a period that was very 225 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: focused on the kind of innovation and technology that would 226 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: be able to put crude and uncrewed craft into space. UM. 227 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: So she was working during this time and she worked 228 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 1: on defense missile systems, ballistic missile systems, near Earth satellite systems, 229 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: and she even worked on underwater launched ballistic missile systems. 230 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: So she explored ways of launching Earth orbit flights, and 231 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: she also focused on interplanetary travel. Um. She worked on 232 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: a Gina rocket as well, which was an upper stage 233 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: rocket that was commissioned by the Air Force. So she 234 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 1: was doing a lot um, but a lot of the 235 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: work that she was doing remains classified. So because of that, 236 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 1: it's clear that the work that she did was integral too, 237 00:14:55,280 --> 00:15:00,040 Speaker 1: you know, the progress that was happening at Lockheed and 238 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 1: in the space race and when it came to getting 239 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: people into space. But there's still a lot that we 240 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: don't know about her legacy. But yeah, um. She was 241 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: also one of the authors of the NASA Planetary Flight Handbook, 242 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: Volume three, which was about travel to Mars and Venus, 243 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: which is pretty cool. But yeah. Um. There is an 244 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 1: episode of What's My Line, which is an all game 245 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: show that you can go watch um on YouTube that 246 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: Mary golda Ross was in, So she was featured on 247 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: that was on June twenty second nine, and that was 248 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 1: a show where celebrities would come on and they would 249 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: try to guess the contestants jobs. And in the show 250 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 1: they listed her job as designs rocket missiles and satellites, 251 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: and so the panelists who were there who are the 252 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 1: celebrities who are like a panel trying to figure out 253 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: what the person does, and they're asking these questions to her, 254 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: and they eventually do get to the point where they 255 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,120 Speaker 1: figure out the material she worked with. They were like, okay, 256 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: we think you we work with rockets and missiles. They 257 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 1: figured that out and then they had to figure out 258 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: what she did with them. So it took them a 259 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: minute to get to that design was like the last 260 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 1: thing they said. They were like, do you do you 261 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: guard it? Do you you know? They had all these 262 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 1: other questions before they got to designing, so but yeah, 263 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 1: they eventually got there. When at one point one of 264 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: the panelists asked how big the rockets were, the host 265 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: cut that person off really quickly and was like, UM, sorry, 266 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: she can't talk about that. She can't talk about anything 267 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: she's working on. UM. So yeah, it's a good way 268 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: to see something that's fun, a little lighthearted related to 269 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: the work that Mary Golden Ross was doing that we 270 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: still have access to. But yes, so over time, while 271 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:45,880 Speaker 1: she was working at Lackey, she worked her away from 272 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 1: being a research specialist too an advanced systems engineer to 273 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: senior Advanced system staff engineer at lckeed. All her work 274 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: was related to and it made possible and effective satellite 275 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:05,440 Speaker 1: mission and space vehicles and submarines, and she worked on 276 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 1: the Poseidon and tried it missiles as well. And another 277 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: flex that she said at one point was quote I 278 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: may have developed a few equations no one had thought 279 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 1: of before, but that was nothing unusual. Everybody did that. 280 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: So in a way, it's like she's almost downplaying the 281 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: work that she did, but it's also like there were 282 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: many other people who were important to the work that 283 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: I was doing, like recognizing that she was a part 284 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: of a team and a part of something that happened 285 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: over a lot of time and that built on the 286 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: work of others, which I think is something that we 287 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: talked about a lot here in this first UM series, 288 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:46,120 Speaker 1: because even though she was a first it didn't mean 289 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: that there weren't other people who were working beside her 290 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 1: and came before her UM that helped make her achievement 291 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 1: as possible. So she retired from Lockheed in nineteen seventy three, 292 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: and of course things had changed a lot from when 293 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:04,160 Speaker 1: she started working there. They were around a hundred women 294 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 1: engineers at Lackeyed at that time. UM. She retired, but 295 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: she still was remain important in education and encouraging education 296 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: in the engineering and math fields to other people. She 297 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: lectured and she helped develop educational programs for women and 298 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 1: for Native Americans, and she became involved in different organizations 299 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 1: like being an early member of the Society of Women Engineers, 300 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: and she was also involved in the American Indian Science 301 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: and Engineering Society as well as the Council of Energy 302 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: Resource Tribes. So she said that she would consider herself well, 303 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 1: the quote is I consider myself extremely fortunate to have 304 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: been on the ground floor of space technology, is what 305 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:58,640 Speaker 1: she said. And she did die on April twenty nine, 306 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 1: two thousand eight. Uh, there's a painting of her at 307 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:05,960 Speaker 1: the Smithsonian and on the twenty nineteen Native American one 308 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:09,359 Speaker 1: dollar coin, she's on their writing on a piece of 309 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 1: paper with the slide roll next to her on the 310 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 1: desk that's in front of her. So her history has 311 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 1: been recognized by NASA, by many people who work in 312 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: the science and engineering fields and aeronautics, and yeah, she 313 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: made a lot possible, and so her legacy has been 314 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: celebrated in different ways. Yeah, it's really really amazing. Um 315 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: and I love she accomplished so much when they're at 316 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 1: a time when there's still so many obstacles, and uh, 317 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 1: these quotes you share, which you know we love votes 318 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 1: on here, Uh do you kind of showcase a sort 319 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 1: of fun like she enjoyed her work and was happy 320 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 1: to be involved in it. I love that she's on 321 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: this game show about it, but there's just like a 322 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 1: fun aspect of it. And I mean, as we always 323 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 1: say in these it's true that so much of the 324 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: conversations we're having now we're still around and especially around 325 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: women and stem because I I connected with a lot 326 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: of this too, because I did. I loved math as well, 327 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 1: and I would come up with kind of interesting ways 328 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: to solve problems that my teachers were kind of shake 329 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: their head at. Um. There was this guy, Aaron, and 330 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: he was supposed to be the best at math, and 331 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,919 Speaker 1: a teacher once told me, like, no joke in high school, 332 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 1: like you're embarrassing him. Let him, let him do better 333 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: than you. And I was like, oh, okay, interesting, why why? 334 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: Um So I do think it's really important to share 335 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:07,199 Speaker 1: these stories and have these these role models and uh, 336 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: I'm happy that you you brought this to us because 337 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: I did really enjoy it. Yeah, I really enjoyed learning 338 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: about her history too. Yeah, it's super important. And I 339 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: think also I just love to see because what happens. 340 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: And I think a lot of these stories that we 341 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: talked about on female First is how people who did 342 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 1: so much work and spent so many years and decades 343 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: in the fields that they were doing, using the knowledge 344 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,400 Speaker 1: that they had and passing it on to people kind 345 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: of each one teach one situation in ways where they 346 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:44,959 Speaker 1: were personally able to inspire so many others. So it's 347 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 1: kind of in a way impossible to trace their legacies 348 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: because if someone hurts someone's story or learned directly from 349 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,879 Speaker 1: that person who had a super storied history in a 350 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:01,919 Speaker 1: certain field, we don't know for everyone what part that 351 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 1: history that information and make whatever interaction they may have 352 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 1: had with the future of that field may have inspired them. 353 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:12,679 Speaker 1: So I think that's really cool. You know, people like 354 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:18,440 Speaker 1: these who have these kinds of histories can form little 355 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 1: puzzle pieces and people who work after them and their 356 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: minds and their overall stories of the work that they 357 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:30,880 Speaker 1: choose to do. And I appreciate that. You know, it's 358 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: having like the spirit of these people and work that 359 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: other people are doing in little ways that can be 360 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 1: little are big. Yeah. Yeah, It's fantastic that she was 361 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 1: a teacher of the things that she loved, because when 362 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,760 Speaker 1: you have a teacher that loves a subject, and obviously 363 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:51,159 Speaker 1: she used that to advance her career, but it's contagious 364 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: and I really I could only imagine that when she 365 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: was teaching her students and just like focusing on making 366 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 1: sure that everyone in that classroom, not based on general 367 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 1: would be excited and learned. In my mind, just because 368 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 1: of again what she's gone through and how much she 369 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: loved it and how she didn't allow for any of 370 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: that to hold her back, so that she was an 371 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 1: inspiration for those kids who learned from her. I would 372 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:16,480 Speaker 1: love to know, you know, how their experience has been, 373 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 1: because she shaped a lot of history. Obviously, like shaped 374 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: a lot in our engineering locket is still around, does 375 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 1: the same thing and it's a big company today. So 376 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:28,840 Speaker 1: she was from on the ground, you know, at almost 377 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:31,399 Speaker 1: from the beginning and saying that, and in my head also, 378 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 1: I can like when you were talking about her creating 379 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: these things, I thought about Rosie the reveter, you know, 380 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:38,439 Speaker 1: in that picture, and I'm like, oh, she was the 381 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:41,160 Speaker 1: epitome of that. She was kind of like the leader 382 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:44,439 Speaker 1: because she'd been there and then she's creating these things, 383 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 1: not only as someone who was making it and creating it, 384 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 1: but actually like formulating everything from the ground up. It was. 385 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: It's just a fascinating thought on who she was and 386 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: what she did and could represent. Yeah, and I also 387 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 1: really appreciate her ability to recognize that she wanted to 388 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 1: nurture a passion that she had inside of herself when 389 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 1: she while she was working on other things at school. 390 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,520 Speaker 1: So it was like she was focused on math and 391 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:14,119 Speaker 1: focused on teaching, but also realized that she was super 392 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:20,440 Speaker 1: interested in astronomy and aviation. So she had the wherewithal 393 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: or the inspiration to be able to pursue that. And 394 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: I really appreciate that and her trust and her own 395 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 1: ability to learn new things and not have to be 396 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,479 Speaker 1: good at just one thing. That she was kind of 397 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: marrying all the things that she loved in her life 398 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: and took that and apply for a job somewhere else. 399 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:42,360 Speaker 1: And you know, while she was when before she got 400 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 1: her certification, Blockheed helped her to be able to do that. 401 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:50,920 Speaker 1: So basically sponsor her ability to get her certification. So 402 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: for her to have the courage and the ability and 403 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 1: the passion to to be able to pursue that, I 404 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 1: think is really admirable and can be a really good 405 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: thing for other people to look at if they find 406 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:13,439 Speaker 1: that they're in a field and want to do something 407 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: that they're not sure they can do that may be 408 00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:19,679 Speaker 1: related or a little bit unrelated in a way. Um, 409 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: I think that like looking at a story like Mary 410 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 1: Golder Rosses can help like show at the very least 411 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 1: that we're capable of, like marrying the things that in 412 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: our lives that we are interested in that are of 413 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: vocations as well as our passions and our occupations. You know. 414 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:39,400 Speaker 1: Another thing I like about the story she was able 415 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:41,639 Speaker 1: to get her flowers while she was still alive. She 416 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 1: lived a very long time. It was really impressive how 417 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 1: long she was alive. But like she actually got awards 418 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 1: and accolades and recognition while she was still here. And 419 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,199 Speaker 1: I love that because we don't often get to see that. 420 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: We get to see, you know, there are a lot 421 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 1: of the stories end up being like either people try 422 00:25:57,560 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 1: to silence them or try to erase them, or try 423 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,400 Speaker 1: to push them kind of in the back of advice 424 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:05,119 Speaker 1: minds so that other people will get credited, but here, 425 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:09,400 Speaker 1: like she did get some of those uh accolades while 426 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,399 Speaker 1: she was here and people were able to acknowledge her contribution. 427 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:15,639 Speaker 1: I love that for her. I agree, I did you. 428 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: It was a very inspiring story and I do. I 429 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 1: love this curiosity and passion. It's just it makes me 430 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 1: happy to see it. So thank you as always Eves 431 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 1: for being with us and bring this story to us. 432 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:32,400 Speaker 1: How can the good listeners find you? Y'all can find 433 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:36,440 Speaker 1: me on Instagram at not Apologizing, on Twitter at Eve's 434 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,640 Speaker 1: jeff co or you can just go to Eve's jeff 435 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 1: cot dot com. That is spelled y v E s 436 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: j E F F c O A T. So yeah, yeah, 437 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:51,919 Speaker 1: you can just find me on there, and whatever you 438 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: need to get to to get in touch with me, 439 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,920 Speaker 1: you can get to me from there. Yes, es, yes, 440 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: and we look forward to another year of ease and 441 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:04,120 Speaker 1: having you back soon. So yes, the listeners, go check 442 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 1: out Eaves if you haven't already. Uh. If you would 443 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,880 Speaker 1: like to contact us, you can our emails Stuff Media 444 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 1: mom Stuff at iHeart media dot com. You can find 445 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 1: us on Twitter at mom Stuff podcast or on Instagram 446 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 1: and TikTok at stuff I ever told you. Thanks as 447 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:21,440 Speaker 1: always to our super producer Christina, Thank you and thanks 448 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: to you for listening. Stunter told the protection I Heart 449 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:25,479 Speaker 1: Radio full podcast. For My Heart Radio, you can check 450 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: out the Ihear Radio ap Apple podcast will reread you 451 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:28,320 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows