Thomas J. Senn was an American naval officer and 1891 graduate of the United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

. He was the commanding officer of in 1920, and the Commanding Officer of the from her commissioning on December 1, 1923 to May 5, 1925. He later was promoted to rear admiral

Rear admiral (United States)

Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...

 and served as Assistant Chief of Naval Operations

Chief of Naval Operations

The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...

 for three years, from 1925-1928.

Admiral Senn was Commandant of the 11th Naval District from 1930-1933 and the 12th Naval District in 1935 at the time of the crash of the , a dirigible that was under the command of later West Virginia commanding officer Herbert V. Wiley.

Awards

Captain Thomas J. Senn was awarded the Navy Cross

Navy Cross

The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...

for action aboard North Dakota during World War I.

Citation: The Navy Cross is awarded to Captain Thomas J. Senn, U.S. Navy, for exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility as commanding officer of the U.S.S. North Dakota, in the Atlantic Fleet.