William Jennings Gardner facts for kids
| Born: | January 23, 1884 North Dakota |
|---|---|
| Died: | June 15, 1965 (aged 81) Prescott, Arizona |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Fullback, end, tackle |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Weight | 172 lb (78 kg) |
| College | Carlisle |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1904–1907 | Carlisle |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 U.S. Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1919 |
| Battles/wars | World War I: Western Front |
William Jennings Gardner (born January 23, 1884 – died June 15, 1965) was an important person in American history. He was a talented American football player and coach. Later, he became a law enforcement agent.
While working as a special agent, Gardner joined a famous group called the "Untouchables." This team was led by Eliot Ness in Chicago, Illinois. From 1930 to 1932, their main goal was to stop the illegal activities of a powerful gang leader named Al Capone. Even though Gardner was only with the group for a short time, he was mentioned in Ness's book, The Untouchables. He even inspired a character in the 1959 television show based on the book.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Growing Up
William Gardner was born in North Dakota. His father was half-white and half-Ojibwe Indian, and his mother was Ojibwe. When he was young, William and his brother, George, moved from the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. They went to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This school was known for its sports programs.
Football Star
Gardner was a strong athlete. He was almost six feet tall and weighed 172 pounds. He played different positions in football, like end, tackle, and fullback, from 1904 to 1907. He helped his school, Carlisle, beat some of the biggest football teams of that time. These teams were known as the "Big Four": Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Pennsylvania.
William Gardner was also great at other sports. He set a school record in track for the half-mile race. He also played basketball and baseball. In 1907, he started studying law at Dickinson School of Law.
Coaching Career
After playing, Gardner became a football coach. He coached at duPont Manual High School in Louisville, Kentucky, from 1908 to 1911. People described him as a quiet person, but he was known for being a clever football coach.
In 1911, an expert at Harvard University found Gardner to be one of the strongest Americans. He even scored higher than famous boxers like John L. Sullivan and Jack Johnson in physical tests. Later, Gardner became the director of athletics at Otterbein University. He also helped recruit another famous athlete, Jim Thorpe, to play on an all-star team.
In the 1920s, Gardner continued coaching. He became the physical director and head baseball coach at St. Edward's College (now St. Edward's University) in Austin, Texas. Then, he became the athletic director and head football coach at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.
Military Service and Family
Serving His Country
William Gardner finished law school in 1909. He joined the United States Army as a private during World War I. He was the only Native American to become a captain at Fort Sheridan. During the war, he fought in the difficult trenches in France. He was injured during the fighting.
Family Life
In 1919, Gardner married Alene French. They had one son, Frank, and two daughters, Jacqueline and Alene. Because of William's jobs in law and sports, his family traveled a lot across the United States.
Joining The Untouchables
Fighting Crime
In 1926, William Gardner joined the Bureau of Prohibition. This government agency was in charge of enforcing Prohibition, which was a time when making and selling alcohol was illegal in the United States.
Two years later, Gardner worked with Eliot Ness in Chicago. They were part of a team of special agents sent to fight the widespread illegal alcohol trade and lawlessness.
The Famous Squad
In late 1930, Eliot Ness chose Gardner to be one of the first six agents for a special unit. Their mission was to investigate the illegal alcohol operations of Al Capone's gang, known as the Chicago Outfit. This group later became famous as "The Untouchables." They earned this name because Ness and his agents refused to take large bribes from Capone's gang.
Gardner was part of the early investigations of the Untouchables. However, he left the group after about two months. Even though he wasn't there for the big, famous raids, his early involvement was important.
Later Years and Legacy
Life After Prohibition
After leaving the Untouchables, Gardner rejoined the Prohibition Bureau. However, he left around the time Prohibition ended.
William Gardner passed away in 1965 at the age of 81. He was buried at the Prescott National Cemetery in Arizona.
Inspiring Characters
Even though he worked with the Untouchables for only five weeks, William Gardner became a real-life inspiration for characters in popular TV shows.
- In the original 1959–1963 The Untouchables TV series, Abel Fernandez played Agent William "Bill" Youngfellow. This character was based on Gardner.
- In the revived 1993 TV series, Michael Horse played George Steelman, a Native American agent. This character was also inspired by William Gardner.
