Abbess,
    Christian Orthodox       
Abbot,
    Christian Orthodox        
Accountant        
Acting Official       
Adjutant General     
Admiral         
Admiral, Texas Navy   
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       

Canadian Officials    
Candidate    
Captain,
   USA, USAF, USMC     
Cardinal             
Chairman
    Federal Reserve      
Chaplain in the
    Armed Services        
Chaplain of Congress          
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     
Chief Operating
   Officer          
Child            
Chiropractor     
City Manager    
Clergy & Religious
    Officials     
Colonel, Kentucky      
Colonel, USA, USAF,
    or USMC     
Commandant       
Commissioner, Court     
Commissioner    
Congressman, U.S.              
Congresswoman, U.S.   
Consul and or
   Consul General    
Corporate Executive         
Councilman
    Councilwoman      
Counselor (Diplomat)      
Countess     
Couples     
Curator        

Dalai Lama          
Deacon         
Dean, academic            
Dean, clergy            
Deceased Persons        
Delegate, U.S., State            
Dentist             
Deputy Chief of Mission      
Deputy Marshal          
Designate, Elect,
    Pro Tempore      
Diplomats      
District Attorney           
Doctor, Chiropractor     
Doctor of Dentistry           
Doctor of Medicine              
Doctor of
   Veterinary Medicine          
Doctor of Osteopathy            
Doctor, Other Disciplines     
Doctorate        
Doctorate, honorary      

Earl            
Elect, Designate
   Pro Tempore      
Eminence     
Engineer    
Etiquette    
Excellency           

Family     
Fiancee      
Firefighter    
First, Second,
   Third, etc.        
First Lady, Spouse
   of the President of
   the United States 
First Lady, Member
    of Her   
    White House Staff      
First Lady, Spouse
   of a Governor
   or Lt. Gov.    
First Lieutenant   
Flag Protocol     
Former Officials    
Freeholder       

Geshe
General
    USA, USAF, USMC
Girl
Governor, Lieutenant 
Governor, Lt., Spouse   
Governor, Tribal Council          
Governor, U.S. State       
Governor, Former    
Governor
    Spouse of     
Governor's Staff,
    Member of      
Governors, Board of 

Honorable, The          
Honorary degrees    
Honourable, The       

Indian Chief         
Inspector General    
Introductions       
Invitations  
   Writing &  
   Addressing  
Invitations
    Military:
    Writing &
    Addressing

Judge, former     
Judge of US City or
        US Count     
Judge, US Federal            
Junior, Senior,
    I, II, III, etc.       
Justice, Associate
     Federal
     Supreme Court
Justice, Associate
     State
     Supreme Court

King     
Knight      

Late, The
   (deceased persons)        
Lawyer      
Lieutenant      
Lieutenant Colonel,     
   USA, USAF, USMC          
Lieutenant General,
   USA, USAF, USMC      
Lieutenant Governor         

Writing Names on Signs
In Lists, Text, Programs
& Other Editorial Issues
Questions & Answers, Frequently Asked Questions, and Blog

How to Write Elected Officials Names on an Agenda?     
How to Write Elected Officials Names in a Program?     
How to Write An Official's Name on a Sympathy Card?        
How to Write Current & Former Officials' Names in a Program?            
How to Write Elected Officials Names in the Minutes of a Board?     
How to Write Names in a Roster: With Dr.? Or with PhD/MD?     
How to Write The Name of the Holder of Many Former Offices?     

How to Name a Building?              
How to Name a Road?        

When Are Ranks and Offices Capitalized in Text?       
Abbreviate or Spell Out Military Ranks in Text?             
How to Refer to an Official First and Subsequentially in Text?       

How to Write a Married Couple's Name on a Donor List?     
How to Write a Married Couple's Name When One is Deceased?      
How to Write An Official and Spouse on a Donor List?    

How to Write An Official's Name on a Plaque?    
Can One Change a Name on a Plaque When the Name Changes?      

How to Write A Name When The Submitted Style is Incorrect?     

How to Acknowledge Multiple Officials Seated In the Audience?     

How to Name a Building After a Person?          Our agency is in the process of naming a building after a deceased Executive Director. We are also having signage placed on the the building. Dr. Delaney earned a Doctorate of Public Administration. Our staff wishes to have the signage on the building as:                 Peter W. Delaney, DPA Head Start Center         We believe that it should be:                 Dr. Peter W. Delaney Head Start Center         -- Terry Kelly Dear T.K.:         Buildings are usually named for people without honorifics ... Dr., Judge, Senator, Mayor ..... or without post nominals ... MD, PhD, MBA.         E.g., at the Metropolitan Museum of Art galleries and wings are named:                 The Iris B. and Gerald Canter Exhibition Hall                 The Robert Lehman Wing                 Grace Rainy Rogers Auditorium         Or at UCLA                 Ackerman Union                 Llewellyn M.K. Boelter Hall                 Almira Hershey Hall         Based on the examples at leading institutions, the best style would be:                 Peter W. Delaney Head Start Center         -- Robert Hickey How To Name a Road?        I have a question about using “the Honorable”… I just saw a news item in our legislative service this AM and noticed that a former Oklahoma official (now deceased) will have her name on a highway sign as shown below:       Shelton's authored legislative language that renames a section of Interstate 35 in Atkins' honor. Under the new law, the portion of Interstate 35 in Oklahoma City running north from Northeast 23rd Street to the junction of Interstate 35 and Interstate 44 will now be designated as the "Honorable Hannah Diggs Atkins, Secretary of State, Memorial Highway."       I think it should say The Honorable Hannah Diggs Atkins, Secretary of State of Oklahoma, Memorial Highway.       What do you advise?  I have placed a call to the legislator’s office.             -- Chris in Oklahoma Dear CIO:        You are right ... it is always The Honorable.        However ..."The Honorable" is used in address to living people .... not with the name of a deceased person. Hence you don't see:               The Honorable George Washington Bridge               The Honorable Abraham Lincoln Memorial        It is simply:               The George Washington Bridge               The Abraham Lincoln Memorial        So call them up and make sure they know it should be:               Hanna Diggs Atkins Memorial Highway               -- Robert Hickey The Man's or Woman's Name First When Naming a Building For a Couple?        I am creating a rustic wooden sign for my daughter & her husband for their lake house.  I was planning on on putting Todd & Bethany's Lake House on the sign, but my friend insists that there is a rule that Bethany should be first.  Is there a rule on this?               -- DC Dear DC,       There is a "rule" that when you write a couple's name ... and they use his family name as their joint family name ... you keep "his" name together as a unit:             Bethany and Todd Wilson       Rather than:             Todd and Bethany Wilson       Other books suggest that the woman's name is always first ... due a "ladies first" rule.       I don't think either are critically important rules since using both first names is informal ... and informality is flexible. (Formal would be Mr. and Mrs. Todd Wilson)       I am always looking at donor lists in programs and you typically see both forms among the names.       So to me it's a personal option ... but I would use your friend's suggestion.       I follow the Bethany and Todd Wilson rule, thus the Bethany and Todd's Lake House form is consistent with that ... and I like to be consistent.       Professional obsession I guess!        -- Robert Hickey

How to List Members of a Board in the Minutes
If They Also Hold Other Official Offices?
        I take minutes for a state finance board chaired by our Governor, who is also the board's president. Other elected officials on the board are the Lieutenant Governor and state's Treasurer. I've been instructed to henceforth identify each as  "The Honorable" when referring to them on the roster.
         Do I list the governor as the board president AND the governor? Do I say, "The Honorable Susana Martinez, Governor and President?
         -- Judith in New Mexico

Dear Judith:
     I suggest that in the minutes of your board's meetings the participants be listed only by their function on that board.
    If they are appointed to the board due to another position they hold, that's defined in your charter ... or was perhaps included in previous minutes which welcomed them as a new member.
    For example, the previous minutes would reflect:
        the new member
        and their qualifications / other positions / who appointed them / or whatever.  
    But during a board meetings they are a acting as a member of that board ... not as the holder of another position that qualified them to be on the board.
    So:
    *** If the state treasurer is on the board as a member, in the board's minutes he'd be listed as a member.
    *** Whereas .... If the state attorney general is not on the board, but participates in the meeting for some reason, he is a guest and is participating in the meeting as the State Attorney General ... so I would list him as the State Attorney general ... thus not a member of the board.
    But all this is more a matter of style than substance.  
    I just submit that the minutes of a particular meeting are not the record of how and why the appointed members got to be on the board.
        -- 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 their titles as well? If we should use titles, which one(s) are appropriate?
         -- Karen Snell, M.D. / in Central Virginia

Dear Dr. Snell:
        Include or not include the office?
       If you honoring them due to actions taken based on there office ... exercising powers or privileges that might accompany their office .... it's would be a good practice to write their name in a style consistent with their office.
                  The Honorable (Full Name)
        Or perhaps including the office, such as:
                  The Honorable (Full Name)
                  Senator, Virginia State Assembly
        Or less formally
                  Senator (Full Name)
                  Delegate (Full Name)
       As to why you would include their formal name & office ... flip it around: how would they list you?  If it was trophy from neighborhood tennis tournament they might just list you by your given and family name ... since you are just Karen to them.
       But if it was some sort of community honor .... and your profession was pertinent ... they'd always include Dr. or M.D. to note your professional service and position in the community. time
        -- Robert Hickey

May One Add Post-Nominals 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 PhDs, MDs, & DDSs 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

Abbreviate or Spell Out Ranks in Text?
       I'm a fiction writer, and I'm currently having a difference of opinion with my editor in regards to usage of abbreviations of military ranks. He says that rank abbreviation is alright in the course of narrative text, but should always be written out in dialogue.
       I assume he means, for example,
               "I want Sergeant James put in the guardhouse," said Lt. Bigelow.
        But isn't it also correct to write,
               "I want Sgt. James put in the guardhouse," said Lt. Bigelow.
              -- Ernest Greer

Dear Mr. Greer:
     In forms of address there is a rule that says when you orally introduce someone you say what the abbreviation represents ... and do not say the abbreviations.
     Thus one would say that "Our speaker today holds a doctorate in..."  and not say "Our speaker today holds a P-H-D in..."
     So you always say the word, but write the abbreviation.
     Based on that, your editor's editorial style seems logical to me, and aligns with a forms of address rule I follow.
       -- Robert Hickey

How to Acknowledge Officials in the Audience
When Giving a Speech? Generally or Individually?
Robert, how would you address a group of senators, governors, police officers, etc.?  Would it be generally like the plural of "sir" and "ma'am" -- "ladies and gentlemen," or "assembled guests" for instance? Or do I mention just the top ones?

          -- Jim Sternberg

Dear Jim:
    If you have a wide variety of officials the challenge is to figure out a natural place to stop mentioning them by name so you don't spend your time picking out certain people in the audience ... and end up overlooking others.
    Here is the standard approach: The speaker will specifically acknowledge those on the podium then go on to acknowledge everyone else in a generally way.  
    E.g., The President at the State of the Union Message is on the podium with just the Speaker of the House of Representatives and The Vice President ... so he begins his speech with those officials in precedence order:
        Madame Speaker, Mr. Vice President, distinguished guests, and the American people .... etc.
    If no one is on the podium with you ... thank just the person who introduced you ... so if Thomas Smith is the master of ceremonies ...
        Mr. Smith, distinguished visitors, and ladies and gentlemen ...
    And when ending your speech, I got some excellent advice from Linda Reed, a PSOW Graduate in Eugene, Oregon.  Linda achieved her Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) from Toastmasters International a few years ago. She suggests "To end a speech the speaker would make their final point which could be a summarization of their strongest points or a call to action. Then the speaker can turn and extend a hand to shake hands with the person who will resume the control of the lectern or simply step back from the lectern, but not leave the lectern until the next speaker is there."
   -- Robert Hickey

How to Write a Name You Think Is Not Stylistically Correct?
      I do not think that this is correct, as a matter of fact I know it is not correct but I need the documentation to support my position. Here's the name:
               Dr. (Ret) Lieutenant Colonel William Edwards
      I need a response very quickly as the programs are being printed on Monday for an event next week. This is going to make us look like idiots.
               -- JM

Dear JM,
       #1 It's not a traditional form of address in the USA.  In the US we use a simplified form in which military ranks are not used with another honorific ... or post-nominal .... so he can be:
        Lieutenant Colonel William Edwards
            or
        Dr. William Edwards
            but never Dr. Lieutenant William Edwards and never Lieutenant Dr. William Edwards.   
    U.S. Department of Defense guidelines suggest for retired officers that Retired or Ret. be used after the name ... Not (Ret) .....and their branch of service be listed ... so it would be:
        Lieutenant Colonel William Edwards, USA, Ret.
            or
        Lieutenant Colonel William Edwards, USA, Retired
       #2 If he's a medical doctor who served in the medical corps of, say, the United States Army, there's a branch of service form just for that which is. ....
        Lieutenant Colonel William Edwards, Medical Corp USA, Ret.
       #3 If he is foreign citizen ... around the world they do use compound forms. E.g., with the British their name is their resume.  So you do see:
        His Excellency The Right Reverend Captain Dr. Sir William Edwards, GCMB, CBE, MP
    See my postings on retired officers at: http://www.formsofaddress.info/USA_Retired.html
        ... Or even more specifically at: http://www.formsofaddress.info/USA.html#037
    And if you are listing him socially ... not officially ... see http://www.formsofaddress.info/USA_Retired.html#219
       #4 All that said ... if he says his name is "Dr. (Ret) Lieutenant Colonel Wiliam Edwards" I would not change it.  Ultimately his name belongs to him and he can create his name to be whatever he wants it to be. Traditional or not traditional, humble or pretentious, his name is whatever he says it is.
               -- Robert Hickey

How to List the Name of the Former Holder
of Many Offices in a Program?
We have a person who is a former Governor, former U.S. Representative, and a former cabinet secretary coming to speak at our campus soon.  He now is the president/CEO of his own firm, and is speaking at our campus in that capacity. 
     As we are preparing the printed program, is it most proper to him as:

          The Honorable John Doe

          Former Governor of (State)

          President/CEO of (Company Name)

          -- Confused in Oklahoma

Dear CIO:
     How you list his former positions can be done in many ways and will depend on how he is being invited:
          as a former United States Representative  or
          as a former Governor  or
          as a former Secretary  or
          as a current corporate executive  or
          all  or 
          only one?
     #1: If only one is pertinent ... list only his experience pertinent to the event and mention the others in his bio or introduction.
     #2: Consider not mentioning any of the former offices with his name front and center. Then mention his current endeavor and former offices orally in his introduction ... OR ... in text in a biography in the program. After all it is the person who is speaking, not a resume.
     #3:  If former jobs are listed ... often it's best to avoid using the word former ... since it sounds so past-tense ... and to present his offices as follows:
          Member, United States House of Representatives 1982-1990
          Governor of Oklahoma, 1990-1998
          United States Secretary of Defense, 1998-2006
          President and CEO, Company Name, 2006 to present
   -- Robert Hickey

How to Sign an Official's Name
(Your Boss's Name) on a Sympathy Card?
       I am sending a sympathy card from our College's President Mary Smith and her husband John Smith.  How should the card be signed? I send this sort of sympathy card to our students who may not know her name.  Any thoughts on that?
            -- Suzanne Grey

Dear Ms. Grey:
       If the recipient might not know the President's name, is not a strictly personal card .... so consider having it be MORE from The President & the College ... not including her husband's name on it. Figuring out a way to include her name & office and his name will be cumbersome.
       If looks to be personally signed by your boss, how about something like:
              Mary Smith and the faculty of (Name of) College
       If it looks typed ... thus looks more official and less personal:
              Dr. Mary Smith and the faculty of (Name of) College
       The Dr. is on the latter option because one does not give oneself an honorific in a signature, so she would not actually sign herself as Dr. Mary Smith.
       I also considered:
              Mary Smith and your friends at (Name of) College
       ... but I think she can most appropriately send condolences from the Office of the President and the faculty rather than the student body ... but you would know better than I on that point.
       -- Robert Hickey

How to List an Elected Official on an Agenda?
     I am preparing an agenda for a meeting and am wondering how to correctly list the individuals that will be attending and making presentations. Although I already know the order of precedence for the agenda and I understand the procedure for addressing a formal letter to such individuals, I am unclear if I am following those formal letter guidelines when listing individuals in the agenda  For example: do I write ...
        Mayor John Doe (first line)
        City, State (next line)
    or...
        The Honorable John Doe (first line)
        Mayor of City (second line) ... do I need the state as well?
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
          -- Tamara Zanders, Willoughby, Ohio

Dear Ms. Zanders:
    Most of the questions I get are forms of address .... but an agenda is not a direct form of address ... so there's more leeway in how you present the names.
    Sometimes the best time to make decisions on how to present names is when you has the entire list in front of you.  But ... I certainly prefer:
        The Honorable Harold Hill
        Mayor of River City
    That form is the traditional form of direct address ... and the elected official will certainly like The Honorable being included.
    Include the state if it would be confusing not include it ... E.g., if you had the mayors of Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia at the same event.
    But if it's not confusing, then it's not necessary.  Again that will be the most clear when you have the entire list in front of you.
    State names are sometimes omitted on wedding invitations for this reason. Sometimes an invitation will state the ceremony will take place in the City of Albany and not mention New York.
            -- Robert Hickey

How to List an Elected Official in a Program?    
   How does one list the governor or the mayor in a program for an event at which they will be speaking. I found the forms of address in you book, but just not sure if that's what I should use on a program?
           -- Susan in Honolulu

Dear Susan:
    Use this formula:
         1) list by name
         2) identify by office

How to List Those With PhD's in a Member's List
When Everyone Else is Listed as Mr./Ms.? 
        Most members of my organization are submitting their profiles for the members list have a basic honorific of Mr. or Ms.  However, for those who have a Ph.D. and is a Dr., which is the best way to list them?
                A.  Dr. Jane Doe
                B.  Jane Doe, Ph.D.
        I lean toward B because it is better because to show the kind of doctorate the person has, versus just using Dr. Jane Doe… Otherwise, the person could be an M.D.?
         -- SS in San Francisco

Dear Judith:
        1) Sometimes creating a perfectly consistent list makes the editor happy, but some of the listed are not so happy.  They want their names written exactly how they submit their names.
        2) I would follow the style they submit, with the logic that everyone is entitled to have their name presented as they prefer it to be presented. So if they submit their name as Dr. or with a PhD ... I would do it exactly like they submit.
        3) The MD vs. PhD issue was discussed in my household because my mother's father and brother were medical doctors ... and the MDs would say the PhD's wanted to be Dr. until someone had a heart attack or the malpractice insurance bill needed paying.  But that's MDs talking!
        -- Robert Hickey

How to List & Order - Current & Former Senators?
       We have an upcoming event next week at which both of our current U. S. Senators will be speaking as will one of our former U. S. Senators, a long-serving senator who retired last year.  What is the proper way to differentiate between the current senators and retired senator in the printed program that will be made available to those attending that day?  Is the situation different if a senator or member of congress is defeated in an election instead of retiring?
       This event, sponsored by the University, will be held at our local Air Force Base, so we have political, military, and academic protocol issues coming together at one event.  We want to get things right.
              -- North Dakota Chairman

Dear Dear Mr. Chairman:
       The forms of address for current and retired senators is the same ... so in the program you should differentiate between them with a modifying statement after their name:

              The Honorable Full Name
              Senator for North Dakota

              The Honorable Full Name
              Senator for North Dakota, 1990-2006

       Precedence of current senators is the one elected first is first.  Precedence of a former is with, but after any current.
       Former senators .... retired or defeated ... continue to use the same forms of address. Exception is a senator who was removed from office: he or she would no longer be addressed as The Honorable.
       I cover all this in my book if this sort of thing comes up often.
       Just in case you haven't, that local Air Force Base you mention has a Protocol Officer with whom you should be coordinating all this.
       I don't know who is the current head of protocol at Ellsworth AFB, but plenty of USAF Protocol Officers are grads of The Protocol School of Washington, so it's likely they use my book.
                -- Robert Hickey