J. Palmer Gaillard, Jr. was born on Easter Sunday, April 20, 1920, in Charleston, South Carolina to J. Palmer Gaillard and Eleanor Lucas Gaillard. ^[1] After a local education, he enlisted in the United States Navy two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served as a pilot for four years and was discharged as a lieutenant in November 1945. Upon his return to Charleston, he founded the Seaboard Lumber & Supply Co. in 1946. In 1951 and 1955 he was elected to Charleston City Council.

In 1959, he was elected Mayor of Charleston, was re-elected three times, and served until 1975. During his administration, the city expanded its boundaries for the first time since 1849, more than doubling in size during his time in office.

In 1975, he was named Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Reserve Affairs by President Gerald Ford. He announced his resignation as mayor on April 24, 1975, upon his nomination to the federal post by Sen. Strom Thurmond;^[2] at his final City Council meeting, the civic auditorium was renamed in his honor as the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium.^[3] In 1977, he returned to Charleston and assumed the vice presidency of contracting firm Ruscon Corporation, a position he retained until retiring in 1985.

He died on July 29, 2006, in Charleston, South Carolina, and is buried at St. Philips Episcopal Church in Charleston.