Arthur Gallagher rowed in the bow seat for the Penn AC in Philadelphia. He started rowing in his teens to overcome the effects of polio. In 1940 Gallagher was on the eight and coxed fours that won the US Olympic Trials but could not compete at the Olympics when they were cancelled due to World War II. In his 20s he took over his father’s trucking business, and ran E. A. Gallagher & Sons trucking until he retired. He was known as an innovative businessman and a tough executive. Gallagher once broke a company strike by driving a truck through the picket line.