Is The President Addressed as "President (name)"?
Dear Mr. Hickey:
I have been directing people to refer to the president as "President Obama." Is that correct or am I confused? Any advice?
--- Anna McDonald, Stafford, Virginia
Dear Ms. McDonald:
We hear President Obama on the news all the time ... but those are in the third person, not direct forms of address. The tradition is that the President’s name is never used in his or her presence.
Here is how the President of the United States is correctly addressed:
Address the envelope:
The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
For the letter's salutation: Dear Mr. President:
In conversation, address The President as: Mr. President
-- Robert Hickey
What Will the Spouse of a Female President be Called?
Dear Mr. Hickey:
What is female president's spouse called? The First Gentleman?
-- Michelle "Mickey" Broom
Dear Ms. Broom:
We don't know what a male spouse of a president of the United States will be called ... so we will just have to see what the media invents.
"First Lady" is used to describe the wife of the president of the United States, but it's not a form of address or honorific. The First Lady is addressed as "Mrs. (surname)" so now that would be -- Mrs. Obama. The male spouse of a president of the United States would be addressed as Mr. (full name) in writing and Mr. (surname) in conversation.
In my book I show these forms ... but avoided the issue of the "what to call him" and titled the section "Spouse of The President" and I show the masculine and feminine forms.
REQUEST: If you have first-hand knowledge of what a a spouse of head-of-government in a particular foreign country is called ... let me know and I will post the replies.
-- Robert Hickey
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How to Introduce the The Speaker of the House
and The President-elect of the United States?
January 6, 2009
Dear Sir:
A quick question for you… President-Elect Barack Obama will be meeting with the Speaker. In making an introduction, I think it would be appropriate to introduce Obama to Pelosi, given that the Speaker’s current position takes precedence. Would you agree? Obama is not yet the President, but he is no longer Senator. Would it be appropriate to say the following, “Madam Speaker, I would like to introduce to you Senator Obama, President-Elect of the United States.”
--- KB on Capitol Hill
Dear KB:
Yes, the Speaker has higher precedence in the introduction, President-elect is not on precedence lists -- but "Senator" is ... and a Senator is lower than Speaker of the House.
The wording you suggest sounds good.
Or you could say "Madame Speaker may I present the President-elect" She knows he's "Senator Obama" and "of the United States" Since you address her by her office, maybe it's a elegant to identify him by his?
-- Robert Hickey
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How Do I Address the Director of the CIA?
Dear Mr. Hickey:
I am addressing a letter to the Director of the CIA. I know I would address it The Honorable (First name)+(Last name), but what is the salutation? Dear Director (Last name)? Dear Secretary (Last name)? Thank you.
--- Theresa Schnipper
Dear Ms. Schnipper:
Yes ... the Director of the CIA is The Honorable (full name).
The salutation is Dear Mr. (Surname):
He's not a "Secretary" ... and "Director" is not used as an honorific -- Commissioners do use Commissioner (surname) and a Chairman of a Board (like the Federal Reserve) is addressed as Mr./Madame Chairman:, but while you may hear the title used in the third person (e.g. someone saying The Director will be here in 20 minutes) "directors" don’t’ formally use “director” as an honorific.
-- Robert Hickey
How Do I Address My Congressman?
Dear Mr. Hickey:
I am a student writing a letter to my representative to the US House. I was wondering how I should address him Dear Congressman Murphy, or Dear Christopher Murphy, or something else. Need the answer soon. Thank you.
--- Rick Caffi
Dear Mr. Caffi:
Address the letter to your Representative as The Honorable (full name).
The salutation is Dear Mr. (Surname):
Congressman is not formally used as an honorific.
-- Robert Hickey
How Do I Address a Judge?
Dear Mr. Hickey:
I have been asked to write a letter to a judge. Having been out of school a while, my skill is very rusty. Specifically, I need to know the salutation, how to address him in the body of the letter, and an appropriate closing with respect to his status.
--- Roger Faust
Dear Mr. Faust:
Address the envelope to the Judge as The Honorable (Full name).
In the letter's address block use The Honorable (Full name).
The salutation is Dear Judge (Surname):
An appropriate closing would be Sincerely,
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address the White House Chief of Staff?
Dear Mr. Hickey:
I am sending a formal invitation to several government officials. How would I address an envelope to The White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel?
-- Melanie Schaeffer, Moline, Illinois
Dear Ms. Schaeffer:
The White House Chief of Staff is addressed as "The Honorable." So Rahm Emanual is addressed as:
The Honorable Rahm Emanual
Chief of Staff
The White House
(Address)
As it happens, Rahm Emanual is already an “Honorable” since he was he was elected to the House of Representatives, but he doesn’t get “Honorable” twice!
-- Robert Hickey
How to Write a Name Badge for a Justice and a Judge?
Mr. Hickey,
When preparing name badges how do you distinguish between Supreme Court Justices and County Judges; is using Honorable for both correct?
-- Marianne Wood
Dear Ms. Wood,
On a name badge, write what one should call the person wearing the badge.
A name badge for a justice of a Supreme Court of a state would be Justice (name).
A county judge would be Judge (name).
For where I’ve note (name) above, use either (full name) or (surname) to match the style of all the other name badges you are writing.
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address the Attorney General?
Dear Mr. Hickey,
I have a very serious legal matter which requires contacting the US Attorney General Eric Holder. Can you tell me the correct salutation to use in an E-mail?
-- Paula Roth
Dear Ms.Roth,
I have some basics on the Attorney General page on this site already. See that page.
Regarding electronic communications -- When addressing a high official in an E-mail you should use the same correct forms of address you would use in a letter. Address him as Mr. Attorney General in every instance ... until he says "Please call me Eric."
-- Robert Hickey
How to Do You Address a Friend of the Court?
How do you address the Friend of the Court?
-- Tom
Dear Tom:
A Friend of the Court is a role, not an official office like an elected or appointed judge, sheriff, or member of a city council ... all of which get special forms of address.
Address using the formula for a private citizen: (Appropriate honorific) + (Their name) and simply then identify by (office) when identification is appropriate.
Friend of the Court wouldn't be used before the name as an honorific.
For example:
In conversation: Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr./Pastor/etc. (name)
In an introduction: Judge Wilson, may I present Mr./Ms./Dr./Pastor/etc. (name), who is a Friend of the Court ...
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address a U.S. Deputy Secretary of State?
How do I address a U.S. Deputy Secretary of State? In the salutation of a letter, as well as mailing address?
-- Law office in Dallas
Dear Dallas,
U.S. Deputy Secretaries of all the departments are all appointed by The President and approved by the Senate .... so all are "The Honorable"
While they would be identified as a "Deputy Secretary" they don't have a special "title" so go by "Mr./Ms." and are then identified in an introduction as "The Deputy Secretary of State (for ....)" Deputy Secretaries sometimes have "an interest area" they are in charge of .... but not always.
The Honorable Megan Wilson
Deputy Secretary of State ("interest area" if it's included...)
U.S. Department of State
(Address)
Dear Ms. Wilson:
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address The Vice President?
I am going to meet Joe Biden, The Vice President. What should I call him when I do?
-- Lloyd Greene in DC
Dear Mr. Greene:
The holders of the highest offices in our government are addressed as Mr. (Office) or Madame (Office) ... not by their name. So simply call him Mr. Vice President.
You might hear The Vice President referred to as Vice President Biden in the media, but this is used to identify The Vice President in the third person or in a news story, not the most formal form of direct address.
-- 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?
-- Susan in Honolulu
Dear Susan:
Use this formula:
1) list by name
2) identify by office
(Program)
Welcome Remarks
The Honorable Linda Lingle, Governor of the State of Hawaii
The Honorable Mufi Hannemann, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu
-- Robert Hickey That's good, but I don't think it's necessary to list their offices. Everyone will know who they are. O.K?
-- Susan in Honolulu
Dear Susan:
All those present may know who Linda Lingle and Mufi Hanneman are, but programs also serve as keepsakes and as a record of the event. So I'd include everything: offices, date, year, and location.
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