gardner finished law school in 1909 and was admitted to the louisville bar in 1910. gardner enlisted in the united states army as a private during world war i and became the only "indian" to receive a captain's commission at fort sheridan. as usual, gardner captained the camp custer football team. he fought in the trenches in france and his pension stated that he had been gassed. gardner married alene french, a socialite from niles, michigan, in 1919, and fathered one son, frank gardner, and two daughters: jacqueline gardner carson and alene gardner schnapf. the gardner family traveled all over the united states, from maryland to texas, primarily because of bill's highly mobile professional lifestyle, involved in both law and athletics.