Thomas Lyle Williams Sr (January 19, 1896 – September 26, 1976) was an American cosmetician and business executive.

[4] In Chicago, Williams first went to work for Montgomery Ward, a firm printing a mail-order catalog founded in 1872.

[4] In 1915, Williams, then 19 years old, seeing his sister Mabel using a homemade mixture of petroleum jelly, coal dust and burnt cork to darken her eyelashes, had the idea to create a commercial product to enhance the eyes.

[5][6] His own attempt was not a success but then he commissioned a drug manufacturer, and the resulting product was something that he could sell: the Lash-Brow.

[5] In 1917 Williams started producing eyebrow beautifier and cake eyelash, calling the product Maybelline, inspired by his sister Mabel.