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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 Chancellor 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 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 Consultant Corporate Executive Councilman Councilwoman Counselor (Diplomat) Countess County Officials 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, Military Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Doctor of Osteopathy Doctor, Other Disciplines Doctorate Doctorate, honorary
Earl Elect, Designate Pro Tempore Emeritus/emerita Eminence Emperor 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
Gay Couple Geshe General USA, USAF, USMC Girl Governor General 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
High Commissioner Honorable, The Honorary degrees Honourable, The Indian Chief Inspector General Interim Official 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 Lesbian Couple Lieutenant Lieutenant Colonel, USA, USAF, USMC Lieutenant General, USA, USAF, USMC Lieutenant Governor
Major USA, USAF, USMC Major General, USA, USAF, USMC Man, business Man, social Marquess / Marchioness Married Women Marshal for a Judicial District, U.S. Mayor, U.S. City Mayor, Canadian City Mayor Pro Tempore Mayor, Vice Medic Minister, Protestant Clergy Miss Monk, Christian Orthodox Monsignor 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 Pope, Coptic 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. President of the 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 Secretary General 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 Seventh Day 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 Vice President 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 Write Thank You Notes Questions & Answers, Frequently Asked Questions, and Blog
Site updated by Robert Hickey on June 12, 2013
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| How to Address a Former President and Former First Lady? How to Address a Pastor and His "Professor" Wife? How to Address the Wife of an Admiral? |
| How to Address a Thank-you Note to a Former President of the United States and a Former First Lady? I was invited to dinner by President George H. W. Bush Sr. and Mrs. Bush last week at the Bush Library and Museum and the Presidential Center. There wasn't a written invitation - it was a verbal invitation - so I don't have something that says "The President and Mrs. Bush invites you", or "The President invites you" -- so I can be certain exactly who was the host and/or hostess of the event. Should a thank you card be written to “The President” only? Or should it be addressed to "The President and Mrs. Bush"? Should my note be hand written? My thought is that the card should be written to the President only, but I'm not sure what is correct. -- DH and SB in Aerospace.
Dear DH and SB: You refer to your host as The President which is not correct for a former President. This event was hosted by “Bush-41” -- a former President is traditionally addressed as Mr. (Surname), in this case Mr. Bush. Holders of office of which there is only one at a time do not continue to use the "title" after leaving the office (see page 85). They revert to either “The Honorable (full name)” -OR- “Mr./Ms. (surname)” and are identified as "the former …”. When Thomas Jefferson left the White House he returned to being Mr. Jefferson. When Dwight Eisenhower returned to Gettysburg he returned to being General Eisenhower. If you addressed “Bush-41” as President Bush he would probably not correct you. At the Bush-43 White House they did write the place card for the former Presidents as "President (surname)" as a courtesy, with the reasoning that they are returning to their former home. It remains to be seen it the current administration continues this new style. Regarding the thank you note, even though there was no written invitation, it's always correct to thank your host/hostess with a prompt note. Socially when the hosts are a Mr. & Mrs., the note is addressed to the hostess. Mail your hand-written note within 24 hours. Address the envelope to “Mrs. George H.W. Bush.” Use the salutation “Dear Mrs. Bush,.” If you want to mention your appreciation to the former president, you could include something like “… and please extend my thanks to Mr. Bush” in the text. -- Robert Hickey
How To Address a Pastor and His 'Professor' Wife? I refer to your book often. How do I address a thank-you note to a pastor and his wife when both hold doctorates and she is a college professor? -- Lucy Hendershott, Great Falls, Virginia
Dear Ms. Hendershott: If it's a thank-you note .. it's social correspondence (as opposed to official correspondence to one or the other's office) so it's easier .... because you don't use their post-nominal initials on social correspondence. Put each name a line of its own ... so each gets their full name just right The Reverend Dennis Winslow and Dr. Marilyn Winslow His name would be first .... as a member of the clergy. Clergy has higher precedence than a private citizen. Even as a professor with a doctorate ... she's a still private citizen. You definitely want to avoid forms such as The Reverend and Dr. Winslow or The Reverend Dennis and Dr. Marilyn Winslow -- Robert Hickey
How To Address the Wife of an Admiral? I appreciate your website. I would like to send a thank-you card to the wife of a two-star admiral and I believe it to be appropriate to address it as “Mrs. So-and-so” instead of using "Janet", her first name. But how do I write it? Mrs. Admiral William Smith just doesn’t sound right. What do you think? Thanks! -- PSC, San Diego, CA
Dear PSC: Official spouses do not receive any special form of address due to the office held by their spouse. (I can's say there are none actually: but, I can only think of two elected or appointed officials anywhere the world whose spouses do.) Spouses are frequently accorded courtesies that would be show their official spouse, but these are in truth courtesies to the official ... not to the person married to the official. My bet is that to use the most formal form on a thank-you note's envelope to the wife of an admiral is a good idea. The most formal way is to address the envelope as: Mrs. William Smith (Address) and then on the salutation use: Dear Mrs. Smith, If you are on a first-name basis, on the salutation you could use: Dear Janet, -- Robert Hickey That helps a lot! I will address the envelope as you suggest. Thanks so much for the information. -- PSC, San Diego
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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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Back to Main Page of the Robert Hickey's BLOG Robert Hickey is the author of Honor & Respect: The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address Published by The Protocol School of Washington® Foreword by Pamela Eyring
Copyright © 2013 Robert Hickey. All Rights Reserved. Book Photo: Marc Goodman.
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