When former dean of the David Eccles School of Business James Gardner died of heart failure on the sixth hole of a golf course Aug. 21, he left behind a long-lasting legacy on the U’s business program.
“Jim was instrumental to my coming to the U…he hired me to work for him in the field of international business education,” said Stephen Tallman, chairman of the department of management and Gardner’s longtime colleague.
Gardner served as dean from 1980 until 1983.
He was also the founding director of the U’s Global Business Program and Center for International Business Education and Research.
Jack Brittain, current dean in the School of Business, said Gardner played an important role in his growth as an academic as well.
“When I was hired as dean, one of the first people I heard from was Jim,” Brittain said.
Gardner offered friendship and perspective, “and I have benefitted from both during my four years as dean,” Brittain said.
In addition to his service in the School of Business, Gardner served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under President John F. Kennedy for a year and a half.
A recipient of the U’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 1986, Brittain said Gardner continued teaching even after his retirement.
“Jim was a dedicated scholar and teacher who never stopped being interested in the U and its students,” Brittain said.
Besides serving as a professor at the U, Gardner also held a permanent appointment abroad as visiting professor at Nankai University in Tianjin, China.
Combining a life of government and industrial service allowed Gardner to bring a unique perspective to his classes that nobody else could offer during his tenure, Tallman said.
“He had a long career in the government and in industry, so he brought a practical side of things to the job…he was able to give us a lot of insight into the world of business,” he said.
As a junior faculty member under Gardner, Tallman said he remembered being treated as an equal, not as a subordinate.
“He would take us to lunch and was always interested and supportive of what we were doing without interfering,” he said.
Gardner, a graduate of East High School’s class of 1940, earned his Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the U in 1947.
He also received a doctorate in chemistry from Harvard University in 1951.
Gardner is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary Ann, three children and six grandchildren.
The family has asked that donations be made to the U for the existing James H. And Mary Ann Gardner scholarship at either the department of history or the School of Business.