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| Abbess,
Christian Orthodox
Abbot,
Christian Orthodox
Accountant
Acting Official
Adjutant General
Admiral
Admiral, Texas Navy
Adventist Minister
Alderman
Archbishop, Catholic
Archbishop,
Christian Orthodox
Archdeacon, Episcopal
Archimandrite
Architect
Archpriest
Ambassador to the U.S.
from a foreign country
Ambassador of the U.S.
American Indian Chief
Assemblyman
U.S., State / or
Assemblywoman
Associate Justice,
U.S. Supreme Court
Associate Justice of a
State Supreme Court
Astronaut
Attorney
Attorney General
Attorney General,
Assistant
Attorney, U.S.
Australian Officials
Baron, Baroness
British Officials,
Royalty, Nobility
Brother, Catholic
Brother,
Christian Orthodox
Bishop, Catholic
Bishop,
Christian Orthodox
Bishop, Episcopal
Board Member
Boy
Brigadier General
Business Cards
Canadian Officials
Candidate
Captain,
USA, USAF, USMC
Cardinal
Chairman
Federal Reserve
Chairwoman
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Armed Services
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Chargé d’Affaires
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Judge
Chief Justice,
U.S. Supreme Court
Chief Justice, of a State
Supreme Court
Chief of Police
Chief of Staff
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Officer
Child
Chiropractor
City Manager
Clergy & Religious
Officials
Club Official
Colonel, Kentucky
Colonel, USA, USAF,
or USMC
Commandant
Commissioner, Court
Commissioner
Commodore of a
Yacht Club
Congressman, U.S.
Congresswoman, U.S.
Consul and or
Consul General
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Corporate Executive
Councilman
Councilwoman
Counselor (Diplomat)
Countess
County Officials
Couples
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Third, etc.
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of the President of
the United States
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of Her
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of a Governor
or Lt. Gov.
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Writing &
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US Count
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I, II, III, etc.
Justice, Associate
Federal
Supreme Court
Justice, Associate
State
Supreme Court
King
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Late, The
(deceased persons)
Lawyer
Lesbian Couple
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Colonel,
USA, USAF, USMC
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USA, USAF, USMC
Lieutenant Governor
Major
USA, USAF, USMC
Major General,
USA, USAF, USMC
Man, business
Man, social
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Judicial District, U.S.
Mayor, U.S. City
Mayor, Canadian City
Mayor Pro Tempore
Mayor, Vice
Medic
Minister,
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Miss
Monk,
Christian Orthodox
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Most Reverend, The
Mother Superior
Mr. (Social)
Mr. (Business)
Mrs., Ms. (Use, Social Forms)
Mrs. vs. Ms.
Mr. & Mrs. / Couples
Name Tags
Nobility, British
Nobility, Other
Nun, Catholic
Nun, Orthodox
Nurse Officer, Police Pastor, Christian Clergy
Patriarch,
Christian Orthodox
Patriarch,
Ecumenical Patriarch
of Constantinople
People with Two Titles
Permanent
Representative
Petty Officer
Pharmacist
Physician
PhD
Place Cards
Police Chief
Police Officer
Pope, Catholic
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Postmaster General
Post-Nominal
Abbreviations
Presbyter, Orthodox
President, corporate
President of
College or
University
President of a
US State Assembly
President (current)
of the U.S.A.
President (former)
of the U.S.A.
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U.S.A., spouse of
President-elect
of the U.S.
Priest, Catholic
Priest,
Christian Orthodox
Priest, Episcopal
Prime Minister
Principal
Professionals
& Academics
Professor
Pro Tempore,
Elect, Designate
Psychologist
Queen Rabbi
Ranger, Texas
Representative,
U.S., Federal
Representative,
U.S., State
Resident
Commissioner
Retired Military
1. Formula For
How to Address
2. Q&A / Blog On
Use of Rank by
Retired Military
3. Q&A / Blog on
How to Address
Retired Military
Reverend, The
Right Reverend, The
Same Sex Couple
School Board Member
Second Lieutenant
Secretary,
U.S. Department,
Member of the Cabinet
Secretary
of Defense, U.S.
Secretary, Assistant
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of the U.N.
Senator, U.S., Federal
Senator, U.S., State
Senator, Canadian
Senior, Junior,
I, II, III, etc.
Senior Judge
Sergeant
Sergeant at Arms
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Adventist Minister
Sheriff
Sister, Catholic
Solicitor General
Speaker of the U.S.
House of
Representatives.
Specialist
Spouse of the
President of the U.S.
Spouse of the
Vice President
of the U.S.
Spouse of an
Elected Official
State Attorney
Surgeon General Texas Ranger
Town Manager
The Honorable
Tribal Officials
Two Titles,
Person With
Under Secretary
US Attorney
US Federal Officials
US State Officials
US Municipal Officials
Venerable, The
Veteran (not Retired)
Veterinarian
Very Reverend, The
VFW Officer/Official
Vice Mayor
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of the U.S.
Spouse of the
Vice President
of the U.S.
Vice President-elect
of the U.S.
Viscount and/or
Viscountess Warrant Officer
Widow
White House Staff
Woman, business
Woman, social Yacht Club Officer
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| How to Address a Member of a
City or County -- Council or Board
Councilmen and councilwomen are roles filled by citizens on a a town, city or county council. The position can be either elected or appointed.
Counselor, counsellor, councilor or councillor are spelling used in Great Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and other parts of the Commonwealth, and sometimes in the United States. They have the advantage of being gender neutral.
On an Letter Address Block or Envelope:
Technically anyone elected to office in the U.S. in a general election is entitled to be addressed as The Honorable. In practice however, while some members of local councils are addressed as The Honorable, many (perhaps most) are not.
For those who are not addressed as The Honorable, address as Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs./Dr./etc. (Name) and identify them by their office. The etc. means to use whatever honorific they normally use. For those who are addressed as The Honorable, see the forms below.
The only way to be certain of the tradition in your community is to call the office of your local council or board and check. In a Salutation or Conversation:
Members of U.S. councils and boards are most formally addressed as Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs./Dr./etc. (Surname): or orally as Mr./Ms./Mrs./Dr./etc. (Surname).
Councilman/councilwoman are not formally used as honorifics in a salutation or in direct oral address. However, the staff of a member of a council may use the terms as honorifics for clarity, as when answering the phone “Councilman (surname)’s office” rather than “Mr./Ms. (surname)’s office” or when referring to the member in the third person as "the Councilman will be returning in ten minutes."
All that said, while Councilman/Councilwoman (surname) may not be the most traditional, it is sometimes the preferred honorific of a particular member, so follow the preference of the bearer. Envelope, official: See note above regarding use of The Honorable.
The Honorable (full name)
(Title of position held), (Elected Body)
(Address)
for example
The Honorable Richard Trotter
Member, Montgomery County Board
(Address)
or
The Honorable (full name)
(Elected body) of (jurisdiction)
(Address)
for example
The Honorable Harriet Winslow
Board of Supervisors, Culpeper County
(Address)
Letter salutation:
Dear Mr./Ms. (surname):
or if the preference of the bearer
Dear Councilman/Councilwoman (surname):
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FYI, here is what's come in to the Blog that relates to this office/rank.
For recent questions sent in, check out Robert Hickey's Blog.
For specific offices/ranks, check out Robert Hickey's On-Line Guide.
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How to Address a City or County Council Member?
I am sending a letter to each City Councilmen. How do I address Sue Smith, who is a member of the City Council?
-- Kitty Anderson, Jacksonville, Florida
I'm going to be conducting a mailing to the members of the Cattarugus County Legislature, shortly. What's the appropriate way to address each legislator on the mailing label?
-- Allison Noonan in New York
Dear Ms. Anderson:
Anyone in the US who is elected to public office in a general election is technically entitled to be t addressed as the Honorable. But at a local level, many cities, towns and counties don't address members of their elected councils, boards, and committees as such. So your only option is to call board, council, or legislature's office and ask "what is the local tradition?".
1) If you discover that local officials are not addressed as The Honorable then, a letter would be:
Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr./etc. (Full Name)
(Name of council or legislature)
(Full Address)
The salutation would be:
Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr./etc. (Family Name):
2) If local officials are addressed as The Honorable then:
The Honorable (Full Name)
(Name of council or legislature)
(Full Address)
The salutation would again be:
Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr./etc. (Family Name):
In some jurisdictions they may informally use as an honorific councilman, alderman, freeholder, council woman, council person, council member or something equivalent, but Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr./etc. will be correct in writing.
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address a Committeeman?
How would you address (letter and envelope) to a Union NJ Committeeman?
~ Kathleen P. McK.
Dear Ms. McK.:
In my book I have a form for a member of a city our county council.
I give much more in my book of course -- and only cover some of the basics here on-line.
In the salutation Mr./Ms. (Surname): would be the most formal
.... but it would not be incorrect to use Dear Committeeman (Surname):
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address a Freeholder?
Could you please provide me with the proper way to address a Freeholder?
-- Cynthia Davis
Dear Ms. Davis:
The short answer is to address freeholders on a letter or envelope, or list their name on a program as:
The Honorable (Full Name)
And in conversation or in a salutation use:
Mr./Ms./Mrs./Miss/etc. (Surname)
The etc. means to use whatever honorific they normally use. There is no special honorific for freeholders.
For those who don't know what a freeholder is .... elected county officials in New Jersey are called “freeholders.”
The term is rooted in the colonial period when only men with land, then called a freehold, were permitted to vote or serve in elected office. In most other states holders of the equivalent office are known as county commissioners or county council members.
In most counties freeholders are elected at-large, or countywide. In several counties, however, some or all freeholders are elected by district. In Atlantic County and Essex Counties, the some freeholders are elected at-large and others are elected by district. In Hudson County, all freeholders are elected by district. Whether to elect freeholders by district or at large is determined by county referenda.
-- Robert Hickey
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How to Write a Couple's Name On a Donor List
When the Husband is a City Councilman?
I am President of our Friends of the Library and are engraving some bricks for a new sidewalk path being installed. We are including our Council Members and their wives, but are unsure the proper way of titling them. We are given 3 rows of 16 characters or spaces each. Would you please provide us some guidance?
Would we list them as:
Council Member Drexel and Kate Douglas
Council Member Drexel & Kate Douglas
Council Member Pam and Adam Steel
Council Member Pam & Adam Steel
Or some other variation? We are trying to make this a surprise so have not approached any of them or City Hall.
-- Jack Scott
Dear Mr. Scott,
Hummmm. The options you suggest are awkward because you are combining official and social forms of address ... including an official's elected office ... with .... the couple's names in an social way.
Members of city councils are typically addressed on an envelope or in the letter by whatever honorific they are entitled to (Mr./Ms./Dr./etc.), and identified as a member of a council: Mr. Drexel Douglas, Member, Hudson County Council
You would never see Senator Evan and Susan Bayh in Washington. Formally when someone holds an office they get their name as a unit ... so .... Senator Evan Bayh and Mrs. Bayh ... is correct ... and is how an invitation would be better addressed to them.
If you are limited for space and must include spouses, include the names and leave off the Council Member. Bricks are permanent, membership on the city council is fleeting.
-- Robert Hickey What is the Precedence When Addressing
A City Council Meeting?
As president of a non-profit organization, I'm going to be making a presentation before my local city council requesting funding for a community service project. The seven member council sits on a raised platform at the front of the council chamber. The mayor and clerk-treasurer attend the meetings and are seated at a table to the right of the council members at floor level. The council president is the presiding official. When I get up to address the council, what should be my salutation? Should it be to all members of the council? Or should it be just to the council president? And should it include reference to the mayor and clerk-treasurer whose roles are mainly to comment and advise. We are a small Hoosier town and I don't want to sound too highfalutin in my opening.
Is Dear Members of City Council acceptable instead of Honorable Members of City Council?
I would really like to show honor, respect and decorum in the way I conduct myself. Thanks for taking the time to read and answer this email.
-- Bob In Ohio
Dear BIO.:
If your oral comments are to all of present ... let's start with how to address each person and then work on their order.
For the president and members of the city council
President (surname)
Members of the the City Council
The Honorable always precedes a full name ... never an office: So a person is honorable, not an office.
I am not completely clear whether the mayor & clerk/treasurer are part of "the official team" at the board meeting. But if included the mayor would be:
Mr. Mayor or Mayor (surname)
Normally clerks and treasurers are NOT most formally addressed as "Clerk (surname)" or "Treasurer (surname)." So he or she would be:
Mr./Ms. (surname)
There is no need to mention his/her office: in this context everyone will know who he/she is.
Now, about the order to mention them: I would want to know MORE to be certain who had the highest precedence at this event. But... based on the officials you mention... here is where I would start:
1. A mayor in his own city
(Was elected by all voters)
2. A President of the council as presiding official at his own event
(Represents all voters, and probably would succeed the mayor if they mayor died or stepped down ... like The Speaker of the House of Representatives succeeds the Vice President if both the VP and the President die or step down...)
3. The clerk/treasurer if he/she was elected in a general election?
(Was elected by all voters)
4. The members of the council
(Were elected by only their district's voters)
That would result in the following:
Mayor (surname), President (surname), Mr./Ms. (surname), and members of the city council.
But it could be that the Mayor and Clerk/Treasurer are not "officially attending" but simply get excellent seats … in which case they would not be addressed. Then your opening would be:
President (surname) and members of the city council.
You should ask someone … perhaps the City Council's secretary -- before the meeting -- which is better.
-- Robert Hickey
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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
Couples: Joint Forms of Address (How to address a couple?)
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, Active Duty
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
Business Cards
Couples
Etiquette
Flags and Anthem Protocol
Introductions
Invitations: Writing & Addressing
Invitations: Just Armed Service Personnel
Name Tags
Names on Programs, Signs, & Lists
Naming a Building or Road
Place Cards
Plaques, Awards, Diplomas, Certificates
Precedence: Ordering Officials
Thank You Notes
Site updated by Robert Hickey on June 12, 2013
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All information on www.formsofaddress.info is copyright © 2013 by Robert Hickey.
The Protocol School of Washington® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Honor & Respect is dedicated to Dorothea Johnson, Founder of The Protocol School of Washington®
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