Press Contact
For press information, interview, or fact check, send an e-mail to Robert Hickey. Or call The Protocol School of Washington®'s administrative office at 803-407-4177.

Video & Images

Photos of Gallery at Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kansas City, MO. 

Panel Discussion   "The Art of Protocol" at Public Relations Society of America, Los Angeles Chapter. 8 minute edited video posted on Facebook.

Robert Hickey on Huff Post Live with Abby Huntsman. "Does Presidential Wining & Dining Work?"  I come at 13:00, 16:00, 19:45, 20:30, 22:50 minutes in the 26 minute show.

Robert Hickey on CNN Newsroom with Tony Harris and on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Robert Hickey on CNN International, Quest on Business

Quoted in The Media

The Washington Post / September 2012
Robert Hickey quoted in "The Reliable Source: Title Trouble on the Hill "  Roxanne Roberts and Amy Argetsinger, September 19, 2012
     "There is a difference between an rank and a role, says Robert Hickey, deputy director at the Protocol School of Washington. 'Honorable' is a personal rank and continues with the person for life. Politicians typically use their job titles so people know exactly what they are – or were. 'Honorable' is the proper title once they leave office, he says. So, really we should be saying 'the Honorable Bill Clinton' and 'the Honorable Mitt Romney,' instead of 'President Clinton' and 'Governor Romney."
    Full Story as a PDF      

New York Magazine / June 2012
Robert Hickey quoted in "President Obama Is Calling His Opponent ‘Mr. Romney’ Now "  Dan Amira, June 2012
     "At the same time, "Mr." is actually the more appropriate honorific here, according to Robert Hickey, deputy director of the Protocol School of Washington and author of Honor & Respect: The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address. On his website, he writes: Only a Governor in office is formally and officially addressed as Governor (name). The reason? There is only one Governor at a time, and it's not respectful of the current office holder to refer to former office holders as if they were still in office. I know we hear newscasters referring to former governors as "Governor."  But it is incorrect. However, even though "Mr. Romney" may be perfectly acceptable, the fact that Obama used to say "Governor Romney" exclusively makes the switch to "Mr. Romney" seem like an intentional slight. This race is getting heated, you guys."
    Full Story as a PDF     

Slate / March 2012
Robert Hickey quoted in "You Are Not the Speaker "  Emily Yoffe, March 2012
     "Just think, a president returning to the life of a private citizen sans imperial retinue—how quaint. Robert Hickey, deputy director of the Protocol School of Washington and author of Honor & Respect: The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address writes that the rules of the road vary for former officials. Hickey says that for those who held offices filled by only one person at a time—such as president, vice president, secretary of state, and even governor or mayor—it is confusing to the public, and disrespectful to the current office holder, to hang onto the title. People with titles held concurrently by many, such as senators or judges, are not violating tradition by keeping their honorifics.
       Retaining an aura of power has obvious benefits—including being able to trade on that power. Hickey says the military is particularly sensitive to title abuse in the business world. He explains that after 20 years of service a retired officer is entitled to use his or her former rank socially, but they are not supposed to use that title in business if it can be misconstrued. A former colonel can call himself that on his daughter’s wedding invitation, for instance, but if he’s employed by Boeing, he’s supposed to be Mr. when he’s on the job. Although, Hickey adds, “Around Washington it’s very typical for defense contractors to encourage employees to use their rank.”
      Hickey says the best rule for any ex-official is, “Who are you at this moment?” If you’re a former senator who’s now a lobbyist on K Street, you should work your contacts as a private citizen, not as “senator.” (As for the use of “the Honorable,” Letitia Baldrige says it is properly affixed for life to those who have served high office at the federal, state, or local level. But the important nuance is that “the Honorable” is a way for others to describe the former official—in an introduction or on a place card, say. It’s not how exes should style themselves.)"
    Full Story as a PDF   

Conde Nast Traveler / November 2010
Robert Hickey quoted in "Etiquette 101: What Gives"  Sara Tucker, November 2010
     "In our abundant culture, where everybody has so much, gifts don't mean as much as they do elsewhere in the world," says Robert Hickey, deputy director of the Protocol School of Washington. "A gift should be a distilled symbol of your relationship." In exchange for his gift to Brown, the president scored a first-edition biography of Winston Churchill in seven volumes, a framed commission for the H.M.S. Resolute, and a penholder. The penholder was only the latest artifact in a story going back to 1855, when the Resolute was rescued by an American whaler and later returned to England. A desk made from its timbers was presented to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria and has been used by American presidents ever since. The gift to Obama was crafted from the wood of the Resolute's sister ship, the Gannet, which once went on anti-slavery missions off Africa. The symbolism here is indeed exquisite. "It was only a penholder, but it was infused with meaning," says Hickey. "That was a brilliant gift."

"W" Magazine / June 2009
Robert Hickey interviewed in the Editor's Blog. "Five Minutes With A Master of Protocol" wmagazine.com, Haven Thompson, June 12, 2009
     “The world may be flat, but people at the top of the pecking order don't think so. So if you're sitting next to a baroness, it would be fun to know what to call her. And wouldn't it be fun to have a good conversation with her?"
    Full Story as a PDF   

POLITICO / June 2009
Robert Hickey quoted in "What do you call a lawmaker, anyway?" Politico.com, Andie Coller, June 22, 2009
(TAGS: Names, Lawmakers, Respect, Name-Calling)
     “It’s always the substance of the conversation that is the most important thing, but it is interesting how often these titles and things determine how the conversation goes,” says Hickey
    Full Story as a PDF   
    Barbara Boxer on YouTube

Press Releases

BRIDAL & WEDDING:
    How to Address Your VIP Wedding Guests? A New Resource Spells Out The Protocol Rules (April 2009) PDF

BUSINESS:
    Protocol Rules At The Top of The Pecking Order (April 2009) PDF

Robert Hickey
 
Author Photo: Brad Fowler
Book Photo: Marc Goodman