| Image Name: | dfunderburk.jpg |
| Birth Name: | David Britton Funderburk |
| Birth Date: | 28 April 1944 |
| Birth Place: | Hampton, Virginia, U.S. |
| State1: | North Carolina |
| District1: | 2nd |
| Term Start1: | January 3, 1995 |
| Term End1: | January 3, 1997 |
| Preceded1: | Tim Valentine |
| Succeeded1: | Bob Etheridge |
| Office2: | United States Ambassador to Romania |
| Term Start2: | October 2, 1981 |
| Term End2: | May 13, 1985 |
| Alma Mater: | Wake Forest University (BA, MA) University of South Carolina (PhD) |
| Predecessor2: | O. Rudolph Aggrey |
| Successor2: | Roger Kirk |
| President2: | Ronald Reagan |
| Party: | Republican |
| Spouse: | Betty Funderburk |
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 member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina for one term.
Funderburk was born at Langley Field in Hampton, Virginia as the son of a pastor and school teacher. He grew up in Aberdeen, North Carolina and attended Wake Forest University from 1962 to 1967, earning a B.A. and M.A. He received his Ph.D. 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".
Prior to entering politics, Funderburk worked as a professor of history. He initially taught at Wingate University and then later at the University of South Carolina, Hardin–Simmons University, and Campbell University. 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, 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.[1]
In 1986, Funderburk ran for the U.S. Senate, but was defeated in the Republican primary by incumbent Jim Broyhill.
After the Senate race, Funderburk became a professional lecturer and writer. In 1994, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives and was elected as a Republican to the 104th Congress, coming in as a part of what became known as the Republican Revolution. Funderburk was the first Republican to represent his district since 1901.
Funderburk was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the 105th Congress. 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.[2] [3]
After leaving Congress, Funderburk joined the law firm Kirkpatrick and Lockhart, where he worked as a lobbyist.