How to Write a Name on an Award, Certificate or Plaque?

How to Write a Name on a
Diploma, Award, Plaque or Certificate?
How would I engrave a name on a plaque for someone who was a governor? Governor Joe Smith?
-- Norma @ Midway

We are honoring a retired ambassador. How should we would write his name on the certificate? Do we use Ambassador Joe Smith (Retired)?
-- Tim, Vienna, VA

A judge will be the speaker at our graduation ceremony and we will present him with an award. I was wondering whether to put J.D. after his name on the award? Should I write it as Joe A. Smith? Judge Joe A. Smith? The Honorable Joe A. Smith, JD? Or is it Joe A. Smith, JD?
-- Roger M. in Arkansas

Dear Norma, Tim & Roger,
     The way to write a person's name on an award, plaque or certificate is just to list their full name:
                (Full Name)
     If they are a "Jr." or a "III" that's part of their name, so you include it.
     Include nothing before their name: no rank, no honorific, no courtesy title.
     Include nothing after their name: no academic or any other kind of post-nominals abbreviation for an honor or professional membership.
     Inscribing a plaque, award or certificate with just their name emphasizes that the award is for the individual without reference to any office or position they might hold or have held. The honor is to them without regard to how their name might be written at a particular time in their life.
      -- Robert Hickey

Should I Put An Official's Office On a Plaque?
        I sit on the board of a local community organization and am preparing appreciation plaques for several Virginia State Senators and members of the Virginia House of Delegates. Is it appropriate to just use their names (without titles) on the plaques, or should we use the name of their office as well?
        If we should use the names of their offices if they hold more than one, which one(s) is/are appropriate?
        We have always used some sort of title/office in the past.
         -- Karen Snell, M.D. / in Central Virginia

Dear Dr. Snell:
       Typically awards are given to the person without mentioning their job. Since you are honoring them for actions taken while in office ... exercising powers or privileges that might accompany their office .... and it's consistent with your style to write their name & office, then you could use something like this:
                       (Full Name)
                   (Name of Office)
       If they hold two offices -- include only the office or offices pertinent to the award. But my preference would be just to the person, by name.
        -- Robert Hickey

How to Write the Name of a Deceased Person
On a Certificate of Recognition?
       Our parish is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. We are giving Certificates of Recognition to honor our Founding Parishioners. My question is how to list a couple when one person is deceased? The committee recommends putting the living person’s name first, following by the deceased spouse.
        Example:
                If the husband is deceased: Mary & Joseph Smith
                If the wife is deceased: Joseph & Mary Smith
        After reading your online information under “Deceased,” I don’t think this is correct.
        Should it be:
               Mary & the late Joseph Smith (if the husband is deceased)
                        and
              The late Mary & Joseph Smith (if the husband is deceased)
        Or can it be:
               Mary & Joseph (cross) Smith (if the husband is deceased);
                        and
               Mary (cross) & Joseph Smith (if the wife is deceased).
       It is common in our Church to designate someone is deceased by placing a small cross after their name.
              -- Powell Dean

Dear Mr. Dean:
       The committee's suggested style is something I have never heard of, and don't think makes much sense.
       If you are honoring the founding parishioners -- I would list their names without reference to whether the are alive or dead: they were alive when they were founding to the parish!
              Thomas James Smith and Mary Wilson Smith
              Mary and Thomas Smith
      I question why it's necessary to note who is living and who is dead -- how is this pertinent? Does the committee want historians to be able to look back and know who was alive at the 50th Anniversary Celebration?
       -- Robert Hickey

May One Add Post-Nominals to One's Name Retroactively?
Can a person who is awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2010, put the post-nominal MBE after his name on ''winners'' boards showing that he won golf competitions, prior to him receiving the award of the MBE? This has generated a lot of discussion in the Golf Club and your advise would be warmly welcomed.
-- Jeff Hardison

Dear Mr. Hardison:
        It would be odd to rewrite history to include honors and decorations received later in one's life. It makes me wonder if an Nobel Laureate can go back and have himself listed as such as the presenter of his high school valedictory speech?
        I think you are located in the UK, and the British tradition is to include more post-nominals ... in more situations ... than we do in the US. But including the post-nominal abbreviations on a golf record in any circumstance is an odd policy to me. Are the post-nominals of MDs and others holding graduate degrees and certifications included on list?
        In the US post-nominals are used with official situations (regarding one's work) -- but not in personal/social situations.
        And even in official situations post-nominals are included just when PERTINENT: E.g., a person with masters in library science would include the post-nominal on a business card if working as a librarian, but if working as an interior decorator ... would not ... because the degree does not support their performance of the activity.
        For example, even though MDs tend to use MDs all the time, my Uncle Robert was an MD -- won his country club's championship and was listed simply as (First Name) (Last name) on the plaque in the clubhouse. No. "Dr." No "MD"
        Let me know if this approach makes sense to you.
        I'd like to be a fly on a wall during your golf club discussions!
        -- Robert Hickey

Dear Robert,
Thank you for your prompt reply which I find most illuminating. It is not the policy of the Club to use post-nominal abbreviations, as one of my playing partners is also an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) and he does not have this after his name on the Honour's board. Naturally he started the conversation, as he keeps the award rather discreet. I feel that your last comment makes eminent sense to me and will keep you appraised of the situation (out of curiosity) if you so wish.
-- Jeff

How to Write a Couple's Name on a List?
We are working on formalizing our donor wall at the museum at which I work. I wish to list couples with first name, middle initial, last name and suffix (assuming they have all of these). We typically list the man first, unless the woman has a different last name in which case she goes first. I am struggling with how to address a couple with the same last name, but the man has a suffix. Would it write John M. and Jane L. Smith, Jr. or Jane L. and John M. Smith, Jr. or something else?
-- SB

Dear SB,
     Clearly the problem with those two options is that she is not Jane L. Smith, Jr.
     I note at the New York museums — where have looked to see what they do … they use three forms. The first two are formal, the third one informal:
          Mr. and Mrs. John M. Smith, Jr.
          John M. Smith, Jr. and Jane L. Smith
          Jane and John Smith
     The middle one is explained as retaining the "Mr. and Mrs." order
     This last one is usually explained as 'keeping his name as a unit"
     So back to the New York museums. So I am looking at the wall, trying to figure out their rules, and right there in the middle of the list is something completely different! I assume when I see a wild card -- they used what the donor put on the pledge form. If I have to choose between making the editor/committee happy — and the donor … I would vote for the donor. It's the donor's name, it is their donation, and they should be happy.
     Another form you see when couples have different names … man & woman or single sex couple is: Jane L. Apple and Susan M. Zappa.
       -- Robert Hickey

Not Finding Your Question Answered?
Below are other topics covered in my blog and at right is a list of officials, Between the two I probably have what you are looking for.
     After hunting around a bit, if you don't see your question answered send me an e-mail. I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day (unless I am traveling.)
      If I think your question is of interest to others, I will post the question & answer – with your name and any personal specifics changed.
    -- Robert Hickey

USE OF NAMES & HONORIFICS
Mr., Miss, Jr., III, & Names
Married Women
Deceased Persons
People with Two Titles
Post-Nominal Abbreviations and Initials
Sequence Post-Nominal Abbreviations: Sr., Jr., etc.

Couples: Private Citizens / Joint Forms of Address
Couples: U.S. Military / Joint Forms of Address
Couples: U.S. Officials / Joint Forms of Address

USE OF SPECIFIC OFFICIAL TITLES
Former Officials
Professionals and Academics

United States Federal Officials, Currently In Office
United States State Officials, Currently In Office
United States Municipal Officials, Currently In Office
       All About The Honorable with U.S. Officials
       Former United States Officials of all types
United States Armed Services
       Addressing Active Duty Personnel
   Addressing Retired Personnel
       Use of Rank by Retired Personnel
       Use of Rank by Veterans

Tribal Officials
Clergy and Religious Officials
Canadian Officials
Australian Officials
British Officials, Royalty, and Nobility
Diplomats and International Representatives
Foreign National Officials and Nobility

SPECIFIC SITUATIONS
Author's Name on His/Her Book
Business Cards, Names on,
Couples
Introductions, Names in
Invitations: Names on
Invitations: Names of Armed Service Personnel on
Name Badges & Tags
Names on Programs, Signs, & Lists
Naming a Building or Road
Place Cards
Plaques, Awards, Diplomas, Certificates, Names on
Precedence: Ordering Officials
Tombstones, Names on

Site updated by Robert Hickey on 18 October 2019

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Robert Hickey is the author of Honor & Respect:
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