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.

Are Mayors "The Honorable" for Life?
I am a the mayor of a municipality - and the question arose, "Are mayors honorable for life"
             --- Cate Wilson in Florida


Dear Mayor Wilson:
The rule is "Once an Honorable, always an Honorable"  So if you are currently the mayor of a municipality you are most formally: The Honorable Cate Wilson, Mayor of (town) ... and I would call you in conversation "Madame Mayor" -or- "Mayor Wilson" -or perhaps "Your Honor"
    When you leave office you will be"  The Honorable Cate Wilson, former Mayor of (town)-.  ... and I would call you "Ms. Wilson" -- since jobs of which there is only one at a time, don't continue to use the "title" when they are out of office.
           -- Robert Hickey

How to Address an Invitation to a Former Mayor?
Hi Robert:
I am addressing an invitation to a former mayor. How do I correctly do that??
      --- Karen Szczpanski

Hi Karen:
      Address the invitation's envelope line-for-line like this:
                The Honorable (Full name)
                     Address
         If your invitation has an inside envelope use this:
                    Mr./Mrs./Dr./etc. (Surname):
        Sometimes you will see or hear former mayors addressed as Mayor (name) but it is not correct, Address a former mayor as Mr./Ms./Dr./etc. (whatever honorific they had before becoming mayor) (Name). The reason? In a city there is only one mayor at a time. It's not respectful to the current officer holder, and is potentially confusing to be addressing more than one person as Mayor (Name).
       This contrasts with officials of which there is more than one office holder at a time -- e.g, there are many judges, ambassadors, generals, admirals, professors, senators etc. at a time -- and these former office holders DO use their (Professional Honorific)+(Name) in every situation for the rest of their lives.
    And one more question: did the mayor leave office on good terms? Those who leave a high office in disgrace do not continue to be addressed as The Honorable.
            -- Robert Hickey

How to Address an Acting Mayor?
     Good morning from Hawaii:
     We have a question about the use of "The Honorable."  Would it be appropriate to use this for an acting mayor?
     Thank you for your assistance.
              -- Cheryl

Dear Cheryl:
    The Honorable is reserved for officials elected in a general election ... or those very high officials appointed by the President of the United States and approved by the US Senate.
    So if he or she is serving as an acting mayor through an appointment ... he or she would not be The Honorable  ... unless he or she was The Honorable due to other elected service.
              -- Robert Hickey

Hi Robert:
      Thanks for the speedy reply.  This really helps us.  We have an acting mayor who was formerly an elected legislator. Consequently, we will continue to refer to him as "The Honorable."  We appreciate your assistance!
              -- Cheryl

How To Address a Mayor-Elect?
      I have a question that I cannot seem to find an answer to.
      Mayor-Elect Rahm Emanuel is coming to our building today. If I have the occasion to address him personally, should I call him Your Honor even though he will not take office for two months? Or is he simply Mr. Emanuel still?
              - Laurie in Chicago


Dear Laurie:
    Address him as Mr. Emanuel.
    He will be addressed with the forms of address due a Mayor when he takes the oath and is sworn in.  He is already The Honorable Rahm Emanuel on a letter because he has been elected office, but won't be addressed as the mayor until he takes office.
                     -- Robert Hickey

How To Address an Elected Official Who Is Also a Physician?
      In our line of work we deal with numerous elected officials.  What is the proper address for a letter to a Mayor of a City who is also a practicing medical doctor?
              - Lisa in Temple, Texas


      How would I address a wedding invitation to a couple where the man is a physician and a Senator?  Which trumps which?  Dr. and Mrs. Ray Cleary or Senator and Mrs. Ray Cleary?
              - Tammy the Party Girl

Dear Lisa and Tammy:
       Officially, if you are writing to an elected official regarding their activities as an elected official, address him or her as an elected official ... in these cases as a current mayor or retired senator.  If you are writing to him or her as your doctor, address as a doctor.
       Socially, being an elected official trumps being a Dr., so address the individual in the style of their elected office. Use the form for a current or former ... which ever is appropriate.
       I give all the forms in my book -- both for official correspondence and invitations.
       1) Both are The Honorable (Full Name) on the envelope on address block of a letter now and forever.
       2) Former Senators continue to be addressed as Senator (Surname) in conversation and in a salutation. 
       3) Current Mayors are addressed as Mayor (Surname) since being The Mayor is a one-at-a-time position and only the current Mayor can be The Mayor. BUT Former Mayors go back to whatever they were before being elected ... so physicians would typically go back to Dr. (Surname) in conversation or in a salutation.
       All that said .... Bill Frist, former U.S. Senator from Tennessee was an MD, preferred to be addressed as "Dr. Frist" when he served in the United States Senate rather than "Senator Frist." It was his personal preference, so people respected his preference, but other physicians followed the more traditional way and were addressed as The Honorable (Full Name) / Senator (Surname). There are probably a million doctors, but only 100 US Senators. But that was his choice.
        -- Robert Hickey

How to Address a Former Governor? Former Mayor?
      Good morning Robert:
      I'm writing to inquire into an apparent discrepancy between Judith Martin's writing on former titles and the position you put forth in you wonderful book (let's not even discuss Letitia's written position.) Specifically, Miss Manners writes about the One At A Time Rule (OAAT Rule) applying only to the President and that title holders revert back to their prior highest official title held.  You write that the OAAT Rule refers to all exclusive positions (Gov/Mayor.) which there is only one office holder at a time.
      How does the lay person make sense of what looks like inconsistency within our field?  Many thanks for you help, Robert!
     -- Susan, Graduate, The Protocol School of Washington

Dear Susan:
     If Judith Martin says a former governor is formally addressed as "Governor" and a former mayor if formally addressed as "Mayor" ... then I would disagree with her and would not agree it is historically based.   Formally they are "The Honorable" and revert back their highest former title that wasn't a O-A-A-T office.
     I see my book as a listing of the most formal forms of address, figuring that 'informal' is 'free style" and easier: everyone can do it. But I do get people who disagree. Nixon's post-presidential staff addressed him as "Mr. President." I've had e-mails from readers in Annapolis saying they always called former Maryland governors "Govenor (Name)".  I read that Sarah Palin's publishing publicist directed people to call her "Governor Palin' when she was on her book tour. And I've seen Newt Gingrich addressed as "Speaker Gingrich" on TV by George Stefanopolis.  Former vice presidents, prime ministers, chief justices, chairmen, and chancellors, get the same treatment.
     But everytime I have directly asked a current or former "o-a-a-t" office holder ... be they a mayor of a city or president of the country club .... they confirm the "o-a-a-t rule" is correct -- having been in the situation of being 'current' and dealing with 'formers.'
     The point is not denying the former official of his or her history .... or dishonoring their service  ... but in honoring our system that elects just person one at a time to certain high offices .... and being clear who speaks for the authority of the office.
     Re consistency .... I always insert the "most formally" phrase because people do realized that what they hear on TV is narrative in the third person.  A newscaster referring to President Clinton and Secretary Clinton in a story ... is not a direct forms of address.
     I also find that asking the question "in your club or association, is the former president addressed as 'President'?"  That question gets their affirmation that having multiple presidents -- or multiple mayors -- or multiple governors -- is confusing.
             -- Robert Hickey

How To Write My Name as The Mayor with My Doctor Husband?
My husband is a doctor and I am the mayor of our town.  How should we be signing registries, cards, etc. as a couple?  I am signing as Dr. and Mrs. Carl Wilson. Is that correct?  Can my mayor title go anywhere in there? How should I be signing our Christmas Cards?
             --- Cate Wilson in Florida, again


Dear Mayor Wilson:
If you are signing an official card, register, or guest book as the Mayor --- use the following:
             Cate Wilson, Mayor of (town) and Dr. Carl Wilson
      I am suggesting you put your self first: as an elected official you have higher precedence that your husband. And I am suggesting you don't call yourself Mayor Cate Wilson, since one doesn't give oneself an honorific (I don't introduce myself saying "Hi I am Mr. Robert Hickey.")  And one doesn't identify oneself as The Honorable (full name).
      Inside personal holiday cards -- not sent as the Mayor but by you and your husband -- you could use the same as you use officially if you want to Cate Wilson, Mayor of (town) and Dr. Carl Wilson  ... or you could use your social name ... Dr. and Mrs. Carl Wilson. Either way, if you are sending it to close friends and family  -- draw a line through the printed names and and write by hand your first names ... "Cate and Carl"
           -- Robert Hickey

How to Address an Envelope to a Mayor and His Wife?    
   How does one address the envelope of an invitation to the mayor of a city and his wife?
        -- Susan Hensley

Dear Ms. Hensley:
     I cover how to all sorts of elected officials and their spouses in Chapter Nine: Joint Forms of Address.
     You didn't tell me the names ... so depending those ... there are several options.
    If she uses "Mrs."  and uses the same last name ... then traditionally her first name does not appear:
        The Honorable William Stanton
            and Mrs. Stanton
                (Address)
    This is the form the White House would use for a married couple using the same last name. The rule is not to break up "The Honorable" from "(name)"
    What you want to avoid is:
        The Honorable and Mrs. William Stanton
            (Address)
    If she uses a different last name, then her first name does appear, e.g.:
        The Honorable Alan Greenspan
            and Ms. Andrea Mitchell
                (Address)
    If she has her own rank, courtesy title, or some special honorific, then her first name does appear:
        The Honorable William Stanton
            and Lieutenant Linda Stanton
                (Address)
        The Honorable William Stanton
            and Dr. Linda Stanton
                (Address)
        The Honorable William Stanton
           and the Reverend Linda Stanton
               (Address)
    Probably more answer than you wanted ... but I hope that is useful.
         -- Robert Hickey

Back to directory of titles  /  See who is using Honor & Respect

For forms of address for invitations, place cards, name badges, introductions, conversation, and all other formal uses, see Honor & Respect: the Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address.

Copyright © 2012 Robert Hickey.     All Rights Reserved.
Photo: Marc Goodman.