Thomas Oates Hardin (1894–1968) was a distinguished airline executive and a United States Air Force major general. He began his career as a surveyor before serving in the Aviation Section, U.S.

Signal Corps during World War I. After the war, he became a rated pilot and co-founded Southern Air Transport in 1927, serving as its vice president and general manager. Southern Air Transport later merged with the Aviation Corporation of New York City, and Hardin became director of operations.