Thomas George Lanphier Sr. (April 16, 1890 – October 9, 1972) was a retired colonel in the United States Army Air Corps, and was Commanding Officer of Selfridge Field in Michigan from late 1924 to early 1926, and an aviation pioneer.

His father, John Joseph "Jack" Lanphier, was born on September 27, 1854, in Biddulph, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada.

They moved to Lohrville, where they had six children: Bernard Anthony; Cyril Crawford; Cecilia Margaret; Thomas George Sr.; Basil "Charles"; and Catherine Loretto.

[1] Major Lanphier was an unofficial observer during a 1926 Arctic flying expedition led by Hubert Wilkins.

On July 1, 1927, Lanphier flew the Spirit of St. Louis on a single flight in the vicinity of Selfridge Field.

[18] In 1938, Lanphier assisted Mary E. Werner, the daughter of former Summit County, Ohio, coroner Dr. Oscar Hayes, with locating her two children.

[19] After a fast courtship, Lanphier married Mary in a civil ceremony in Akron, Ohio, on March 10, 1938.

[1] He voluntarily entered inactive duty in 1943 and was appointed to the Veterans Administration by General Omar Bradley.

He was involved in Operation Vengeance, the mission to shoot down the plane carrying Admiral Yamamoto, the commander in chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy, April 18, 1943.

He was a captain in the United States Marine Corps attached to VMF-214 (the Black Sheep squadron) when his F4U Corsair crashed during a mission at Bougainville Island on August 28, 1943.

[1] His remains were recovered and 1st Lt. Charles C. Lanphier, USMC was interred at Arlington National Cemetery, April 5, 1949.