How to Write Letters (Formerly The Book of Letters) | Page 6

these titles are usually
abbreviated on the envelope and in the inside address, but in the
salutation they must be written out in full, as "My dear Doctor," or "My
dear Professor." In formal notes one writes "My dear Doctor Reynolds"
or "My dear Professor Palmer." In less formal notes, "Dear Doctor
Reynolds" and "Dear Professor Palmer" may be used.
A question of taste arises in the use of "Doctor." The medical student
completing the studies which would ordinarily lead to a bachelor's
degree is known as "Doctor," and the term has become associated in the
popular mind with medicine and surgery. The title "Doctor" is,
however, an academic distinction, and although applied to all graduate
medical practitioners is, in all other realms of learning, a degree
awarded for graduate work, as Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), or for
distinguished services that cause a collegiate institution to confer an
honorary degree such as Doctor of Common Law (D.C.L.), Doctor of
Law and Literature (LL.D.), Doctor of Science (Sc.D.), and so on.
Every holder of a doctor's degree is entitled to be addressed as
"Doctor," but in practice the salutation is rarely given to the holders of
the honorary degrees--mostly because they do not care for it.
Do not use "Mr." or "Esq." with any of the titles mentioned above.
The President of the United States should be addressed formally as
"Sir," informally as "My dear Mr. President."
Members of Congress and of the state legislatures, diplomatic
representatives, judges, and justices are entitled "Honorable," as

"Honorable Samuel Sloane," thus:
(Formal) Honorable (or Hon.) John Henley Sir:
(Informal) Honorable (or Hon.) John Henley My dear Mr. Henley:
Titles such as "Cashier," "Secretary," and "Agent" are in the nature of
descriptions and follow the name; as "Mr. Charles Hamill, Cashier."
When such titles as "Honorable" and "Reverend" are used in the body
of the letter they are preceded by the article "the." Thus, "The
Honorable Samuel Sloane will address the meeting."
A woman should never be addressed by her husband's title. Thus the
wife of a doctor is not "Mrs. Dr. Royce" but "Mrs. Paul Royce." The
titles of "Judge," "General," and "Doctor" belong to the husband only.
Of course, if a woman has a title of her own, she may use it. If she is an
"M.D." she will be designated as "Dr. Elizabeth Ward." In this case her
husband's Christian name would not be used.
In writing to the clergy, the following rules should be observed:
For a Cardinal the only salutation is "Your Eminence." The address on
the envelope should read "His Eminence John Cardinal Farley."
To an Archbishop one should write "Most Rev. Patrick J. Hayes, D.D.,
Archbishop of New York." The salutation is usually "Your Grace,"
although it is quite admissible to use "Dear Archbishop." The former is
preferable and of more common usage.
The correct form of address for a Bishop is "The Right Reverend John
Jones, D.D., Bishop of ----." The salutation in a formal letter should be
"Right Reverend and dear Sir," but this would be used only in a strictly
formal communication. In this salutation "dear" is sometimes
capitalized, so that it would read "Right Reverend and Dear Sir";
although the form in the text seems preferable, some bishops use the
capitalized "Dear." The usual form is "My dear Bishop," with "The
Right Reverend John Jones, D.D., Bishop of ----" written above it. In

the Protestant Episcopal Church a Dean is addressed "The Very
Reverend John Jones, D.D., Dean of ----." The informal salutation is
"My dear Dean Jones" and the formal is "Very Reverend and dear Sir."
In addressing a priest, the formal salutation is "Reverend and dear Sir,"
or "Reverend dear Father." The envelope reads simply: "The Rev.
Joseph J. Smith," followed by any titles the priest may enjoy.
The form used in addressing the other clergy is "The Reverend John
Jones," and the letter, if strictly formal, would commence with
"Reverend and Dear Sir." The more usual form, however, is "My dear
Mr. Brown" (or "Dr. Brown," as the case may be). The use of the title
"Reverend" with the surname only is wholly inadmissible.
In general usage the salutation in addressing formal correspondence to
a foreign ambassador is "His Excellency," to a Minister or Chargé
d'Affaires, "Sir." In informal correspondence the general form is "My
dear Mr. Ambassador," "My dear Mr. Minister," or "My dear Mr.
Chargé d'Affaires."
4. THE BODY OF THE LETTER
In the placing of a formal note it must be arranged so that the complete
note appears on the first page only. The social letter is either formal or
informal. The formal letter must be written according to certain
established practice. It is the letter used for invitations to formal affairs,
for announcements, and for the acknowledgment of these