Brother Price Gardner (Arkansas State, Delta Theta ‘82) believes in making a difference and seeing meaningful impact in any endeavor or engagement one undertakes, with beliefs shaped and borne from the PIKE House to the gridiron to his alma maters. Gardner is one of the most respected business transaction and tax attorneys in the South. He served as president of Delta Theta after a successful collegiate football career at Arkansas State in the ‘80s and today is the managing partner of Arkansas’ largest law firm, Friday, Eldredge & Clark in Little Rock.
Gardner was born in Florida – the son of a Navy helicopter pilot and homemaker Mom – but his earliest memories are of Little Rock, where he grew up with one younger sister and was active in sports. He earned an accounting degree from “A-State” in 1984, his law degree from University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1988 where he was managing editor of the Law Review and an LLM in taxation from the University of Florida School of Law in 1989. Gardner is also a Certified Public Accountant with an inactive license.
Gardner has been active in Arkansas Bar legal circles along with nonprofit board service and leadership in Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Arkansas affiliate of the American Heart Association, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre and more. He is very engaged at his alma mater having been a past chair and a recently reappointed member of the Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees, which oversees the second-largest higher education system in Arkansas. Gardner and his wife have endowed the Price and Sara Gardner Pre-Law Scholarship at Arkansas State for upper-level undergraduates interested in pursuing a law degree. He is a 1924 Sustaining Life Member of the ASU Alumni Association and Scarlett Society of the Arkansas State Red Wolves Foundation.
“I was a late comer to Greek life and the Pikes at ASU, not pledging until the spring of my sophomore year. Through the Fraternity I was able to make life-long friends and relationships, as well as gain great leadership skills. My son is named for my two best friends from the Delta Theta days. My advice for the brothers of today is to invest in those relationships while in college because your brothers are the future leaders in all areas of business. It’s always good to know somebody,” says Gardner.
Gardner is very committed to making higher education more widely available. “Being given the opportunity to serve as a Trustee of the ASU System has been a rewarding experience. Higher education is facing challenges on all fronts, with controlling costs and addressing the overall value proposition being in the fore front. We have to adjust constantly to try and understand what our students need and the best way to meet those needs, from curriculum to methods of delivery. We learned a lot from COVID that changed the way education is delivered. I am very excited about the things we are doing in the ASU System and the Jonesboro campus.”
“Price Gardner represents the quality and character of what Pi Kappa Alpha is all about. He is a leader with integrity, successful because of his work ethic, and gives back to those institutions (A-State and Pi K A) that gave him so much. As an undergraduate at ASU, he learned time management to successfully play football, study and lead as SMC of Pike. Yet, with all his success today, Price is humble and appreciative. A true example for all brothers of Pi Kappa Alpha to emulate. I am very proud to be his friend and brother,” says Tim O. Brown ’73, longtime advisor of Delta Theta Chapter.
Other Delta Theta Pikes add accolades about Gardner. “In his role as a trustee, Price has been a critical part of the Arkansas State University System’s continued growth,” said Jeff Hankins ’84, vice president for strategic communications for the ASU System. “His leadership and financial contributions have supported major academic and athletics initiatives and growth. He is chairing the search for a new system president, and development is under way for the state’s first College of Veterinary Medicine.”
Taylor Stockemer ’11, also a student athlete who earned an economics degree and an MBA from A-State before attending law school and is a new partner in the Friday law firm, says of Gardner, ” “Price exhibits a high-class leadership style as he navigates the Friday law firm through challenges it faces all while fostering a culture of teamwork and cohesiveness and inspiring us all in our daily endeavors. Without a doubt such qualities as perseverance, determination, and passion demonstrated daily by Price were all qualities developed during Price’s tenure as a student-athlete and brother of Pi Kappa Alpha.”
As the late Coach Vince Lombardi famously opined, “Leaders aren’t born they are made just like anything else, through hard work and that’s the price we’ll pay to achieve that goal.” Gardner reflects the best of the PIKE brotherhood’s values of friendship, love and truth through leadership and integrity. We are pleased to profile Price Gardner and share his inspiring story of commitment, hard work and impact.