Thomas Nickerson (September 19, 1810 – July 24, 1892) was an American railroad executive.

He served as the eighth president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF), between 1874 and 1880.

[2] His family was well known for the number of sailors it had produced, and Thomas himself also sailed for nearly 30 years before he turned to land transportation.

The next year, he was promoted to president of the ATSF, succeeding Henry Strong, where he served until 1880.

Thomas Nickerson's brother Joseph also served as a railroad executive,[3] and Joseph's son Albert W. Nickerson inherited several million dollars upon his father's death and was made a director of the ATSF and the Mexican Central Railway.