Rear Admiral James C. Tison Jr. (July 23, 1908 – May 3, 1991) was an officer in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps and Environmental Science Services Administration Corps (ESSA Corps), both predecessors of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps). He served simultaneously as the first Director of the ESSA Corps, one of only two people to hold the position, and as the sixth Director of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey.