David Britton Funderburk (born April 28, 1944) is an American politician and diplomat who served as the Ambassador of the United States to Romania from 1981 to 1985. He later served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

for one term.

Early life and education

Funderburk was born at

Langley Field Langley may refer to: People * Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name * Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer * Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perfo ...

in Hampton, Virginia as the son of a pastor and school teacher. He grew up in

Aberdeen, North Carolina Aberdeen is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 6,350 at the 2010 census. History Scottish emigrants were the first Europeans to settle the area beginning in 1745. They were drawn to the area by bountiful ...

and attended

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...

from 1962 to 1967, earning a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

and

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

He received his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in 1974 from the University of South Carolina, with a thesis titled "British policy towards Romania, 1938–1940: A Study in Economic and Political Strategy".

Career

Prior to entering politics, Funderburk worked as a professor of history. He initially taught at

Wingate University Wingate University is a private Baptist university with campuses in Wingate, Charlotte, and Hendersonville, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina ( Southern Baptist Convention). The university enr ...

and then later at the University of South Carolina,

Hardin–Simmons University Hardin–Simmons University (HSU) is a private Baptist university in Abilene, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (Southern Baptist Convention). History Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist ...

, and

Campbell University Campbell University is a private Baptist university in Buies Creek, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (Southern Baptist Convention). Southern Baptist ConventionColleges and Universities sbc.n ...

. He was a Fulbright Scholar who later received Romania's highest award to a foreigner. The University of Bucharest and Campbell University gave him honorary doctorates. In 1981, Funderburk was chosen as the U.S. Ambassador to the

Socialist Republic of Romania The Socialist Republic of Romania ( ro, Republica Socialistă România, RSR) was a Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989. From 1947 to 1965, the state was known as the Romanian Peop ...

, and served until 1985. In ''Pinstripes and Reds'', a book published in 1987, he described the process by which he was nominated and confirmed to be ambassador, as well as aspects of life in Romania during the administration of

Nicolae Ceaușescu Nicolae Ceaușescu ( , ; – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian communist politician and dictator. He was the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and the second and last Communist leader of Romania. He was ...

. In 1986, Funderburk ran for the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

, but was defeated in the Republican primary by incumbent

Jim Broyhill James Thomas Broyhill (born August 19, 1927) is an American former businessman and United States Republican Party, Republican United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative and United States Senator, Senator from the state of North ...

. Funderburk became a professional lecturer and writer in 1988 and was elected as a Republican to the

104th Congress The 104th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 19 ...

in 1994, coming in as a part of the

Republican Revolution The "Republican Revolution", "Revolution of '94", or "Gingrich Revolution" are political slogans that refer to the Republican Party (GOP) success in the 1994 U.S. mid-term elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of ...

. Funderburk was the first Republican to represent his district since 1901. Funderburk was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the

105th Congress The 105th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1997, ...

. His defeat was largely blamed on a car accident in which he was involved. Witnesses claimed that he was driving but then switched seats with his wife.

Books

* ''If the Blind Lead the Blind: The Scandal Regarding the Mis-teachings of Communism in American Universities'' Erwin, N.C.: Carolina Arts and Publishing House, 1978. * ''British Policy Toward Romania, 1938–1940'' N.p., 1983. * ''Pinstripes and Reds: An American Ambassador Caught Between the State Department & the Romanian Communists, 1981–1985'' Washington, D.C.: Selous Foundation Press, 1987.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Funderburk, David Britton 1944 births Living people Ambassadors of the United States to Romania Wake Forest University alumni University of South Carolina alumni Politicians from Hampton, Virginia Wingate University faculty University of South Carolina faculty Campbell University faculty Hardin-Simmons University faculty Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina Baptists from Virginia People from Southern Pines, North Carolina Baptists from North Carolina 20th-century American diplomats Members of Congress who became lobbyists