May 27, 2005

The Matchmaker

When colleges need presidents, they turn to consultants like Bill Funk

By JOHN L. PULLEY

Dallas

Eighteen floors above the street-level bustle of the Uptown District here, morning light streams into a corner office through floor-to-ceiling windows. R. William Funk tilts his chair back, stretches his legs, and props a pair of size-12 black-tasseled loafers onto a hand-carved cherry-wood desk. From a radio resting on a massive credenza behind him comes a steady stream of songs by James Brown, the Isley Brothers, and other rock and soul singers.

Then the phone rings, and Mr. Funk