James Arthur Gardiner (October 25, 1930 – April 19, 2016) was an American rower who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He was born in Detroit, Michigan and died on April 19, 2016 at his home in Seattle, Washington. At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia Gardiner and his partner Pat Costello won the silver medal in the double sculls event. Gardiner also won a gold medal at the 1955 Pan American Games. He was inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame in 1971.