A photograph of Robert Gardiner.

Born in Scotland, Gardiner settled in the Excel region of eastern Alberta in 1909, raising grain and purebred horses.  Two months after arriving, he joined UFA, and became active in political affairs.  In the 1921 federal election, Gardiner was elected Member of Parliament for Medicine Hat with the UFA backed Progressive Party of Canada party; he became the house leader of the UFA caucus.  He was reelected in 1925 and then again in 1926 as a candidate for the United Farmers of Alberta. As a politician, he lobbied for the retention of the Crows Nest Pass Agreement and led an investigation into corruption in the hydro industry.  In 1931, while still in parliament, Gardiner was elected UFA president.  Defeated in the 1935 federal election, Gardiner presided over UFA's departure from politics in 1939.  Known for his fairness and impartiality Gardiner turned the organization from politics to advocacy and marketing.  He died shortly after retiring as UFA chairman in 1945.