From the time he was a child, Paul E. Funk II knew he wanted to serve in the U.S. military.
He watched his father, also named Paul, fly a Cobra helicopter in 1968, sparking some of his earliest fascination with the armed forces. An avid athlete, Funk had always felt the deep importance of being part of a larger team, feeding his drive to join both JROTC in high school and Army ROTC at MSU when he arrived in 1980.
After graduating in 1984 with a degree in speech communications, Funk went on to a 42-year career in the Army, becoming a four-star general, a rank held by fewer than 300 people in U.S history. Among his awards are the Army’s Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Distinguished Medal, the Legion of Merit and multiple Bronze Stars. And, at MSU’s fall commencement ceremony on Friday, Dec. 13, he will be awarded an honorary doctorate from the university.
“Paul Funk’s life has been defined by service, one of the pillars of our land-grant mission,” said MSU President Waded Cruzado. “His humble leadership, deep commitment to hard work and willingness to mentor and guide the next generation shows his Bobcat colors in all he does. We are so excited to recognize and commend his generosity and integrity and to proudly honor him as an outstanding ambassador for our university and our community.”
Funk grew up in in a family of MSU alumni. Both his parents attended MSU; his father, a retired three-star general, completed a doctorate and received an honorary doctorate of his own from MSU in 1998. When he was young, Funk’s parents moved back to his father’s hometown of Roundup, north of Billings, so he said he never considered going anywhere other than MSU for college.
“It opened a lot of wonderful doors for me,” Funk said of his time at MSU. “I met the best friends I had in the world at Montana State, and we’re still friends today.”
He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, which deepened his desire to be part of a team. As a sophomore, he was commissioned into the Montana National Guard and would go on to serve in several roles before becoming an officer. As he ascended the Army’s ranks, he served for five years in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan as a commander and was stationed in Colorado, Kansas, Texas and Germany.
When notified that he had been nominated for an honorary doctorate, Funk, who now lives in Texas, said he had to confirm that MSU was reaching out to the right person.
“I was stunned. I said, ‘Are you sure you got the right number?’” he recalled. “I think it’s just magnificent to represent my family and all the people I served with over the decades. To be recognized in this capacity and to see the decision I made in 1980 to go to school in Montana come full circle is incredibly special.”
Throughout his career, Funk’s leadership and integrity have made a lasting impact on those who served with him.
“I have known Paul for more than 30 years … and I consider him one of the finest leaders I have ever known,” said Martin Dempsey, a retired Army general who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – the highest rank in the U.S. military – in a letter supporting Funk’s honorary doctorate. “He is tireless, courageous and a simply magnificent representative of our military profession. There can be no doubt that he has made our country safer and inspired the next generation of military leaders who will follow him.”
Funk’s final post before retirement was as commanding officer of the Army Training and Doctrine Command, or TRADOC, a program headquartered in Virginia that recruits and trains soldiers in leadership, languages, military skills and more. While there, Funk interacted with and led tens of thousands of young military professionals and service members.
For him, shaping and teaching the next generation has been the highlight of a long and distinguished career.
“Your legacy in the military becomes the people that you have brought with you. Our goal as leaders is to live a life that allows people to see us, to lead by example,” he said. “I see the sacrifice, the selflessness and the dedication that these young people have shown. Being part of that was the truly the honor of a lifetime.”
Funk’s nomination for an honorary doctorate had no shortage of supporters. Retired Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast highlighted his breadth of experience and humility in a letter backing the selection, calling Funk a lifelong learner.
“General Funk’s storied career was underpinned by the strong academic and ethical [tenets] of MSU,” Fast wrote. “His academic credentials, coupled with his understanding of world events, international relationships and his understanding and support for Army families have been instrumental in his success.”
For Funk, who has continued his family’s legacy both as an MSU alumnus and member of the armed forces, the recognition highlights a lifelong pride in the state of Montana and the community at his alma mater.
“Throughout my career, I’ve talked about being from Montana and being a Bobcat,” he said. “I have always tried to represent our state and our university in a positive light, with just how magnificent the people and the culture around the university have become.”