—- Address block on a letter or email:
—- —- The Honorable (Full Name)
——– United States Senator for (State)
—- —- (Address within the Senate Office Building)
—- —- United States Senate
—- —- Washington, DC 20510
—- Salutation:
—- —- Dear Senator (Surname):
—- Conversation:
—- —- Senator (Surname)
The Honorable (Full Name) is the written form of his/her name. Use it on a mailing envelope or a letter’s address block. If you were to acknowledge his/her presence in the audience from the lectern, you would use this form. “Today we are honored to welcome the Honorable Peter Montgomery”. Then follow this with something like, “ United States Senator for (State)’, or ‘Junior/Senior United States Senator for (State)” etc.
Senator (Surname) is the conversational form of his/her name. Use it when orally and in a letter’s salutation. You also would use this form in a one-to-one introduction to provide the conversational form of his/her name to the person being introduced to the Senator.
– Robert Hickey How to Address a US Senator
How would you address a letter to a U.S. Ssenator as a member of a committee? Thanks.
—- —- —- —- – Doug
Dear Doug:
Use this form when communicating with a Senator as a member of a committee or subcommittee:
—- Envelope:
—- —- The Honorable (Full Name)
—- —- (Position in the Committee)
—- —- (Name of Committee)
—- —- (Address)
—- —- Which would look like:
—- —- —- The Honorable Harold Hill
—- —- —- Ranking Member
—- —- —- The United States Senate Finance Committee, Subcommittee on Health Care
—- —- —- (Address)
Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”
Regarding ex-US senators: I get that they remain the Honorable (Full Name). But is it:
—- —- Dear Mr. (Surname),
—- —- —- OR
—- —- Dear Senator (Surname),
—- —- —- —- —- – Rich Hockberry
Dear Mr. Hockberry:
Yes, in writing they continue to be:
—- Envelope:
—- —- The Honorable (Full Name)
—- —- (Address)
—- Salutation:
—- —- Dear Senator (Full Name)
Former senators continue to be addressed as Senator (Surname).
When many hold the same office at the same time – the pattern is – all continue to use the title after retiring. Like judge, ambassador, military officer or doctor, being a Senator is not a one-office-holder-at-a-time position. Being addressed as Senator (Name) does not infringing upon the courtesies due a singular current office holder.
Thus, the tradition is former senators keep the honorific for social use after leaving office.
What is the right way to address a card to a former United States Senator and his wife?
—- —- —- —- – VE at Airport Hills
Dear VE:
When addressing a senator and spouse, here are three formulae that work:
—- —- The Honorable (Full Name)
—- —- and Mrs. (Shared Surname)
—- —- (Address)
—- —- The Honorable (Full Name)
—- —- and Ms./Dr. (Given Name + Surname)
—- —- (Address)
—- —- The Honorable (Full Name)
—- —- and Mr. (Full Name)
—- —- (Address)
This last one works for a man, but also for any spouse who uses Doctor, Judge or any other special honorific:
—- —- The Honorable (Full Name)
—- —- and Mr./Dr. (Full Name)
—- —- (Address)
People who have official titles get their [title + name] all together as a unit – and not broken up or mixed with another name. Not: The Honorable and Mrs. (Full Name) for example.
—- The salutation or invitation’s inside envelope
—- —- Dear Senator (Surname) and Mrs. (Same Surname):
—- —- Dear Senator (Surname) and Ms. (Different Surname):
—- —- Dear Senator (Surname) and Mr. (Same or Different Surname):
People often want to combine them. It is not horrible – just less formal:
—- —- Dear Senator and Mrs. (Shared Surname):
—- —- Dear Senator and Mr. (Shared Surname):
Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”
How do I address an envelope to a U.S Senator who is also has a doctorate?
—- —- —- —- —- – Mrs. Justine Shuman
Dear Mrs. Shuman:
—- #1) The U.S. tradition is we use only one honorific/courtesy title at a time … It is either/or … not both.
—- #2) Since U.S. Senator has much higher precedence than being a Doctor, address as a Senator.
—- #3) Jobs/offices are not mentioned on invitations and social correspondence.
—- #4) Since it’s to the couple, I will assume it’s social and won’t list that he’s a US Senator.
—- Envelope:
—- —- The Honorable Henry Wilson
—- —- and Mrs. Wilson
—- —- (Address)
—- Salutation or an invitation’s inside envelope:
—- —- Senator Wilson and Mrs. Wilson
See other options for addressing for a Senator and spouse on this page.
NOTE: Bill Frist, a U.S. Senator from Tennessee preferred to be addressed in conversation as Dr. Frist. I’d think there are only 100 Senators … and a million doctors, so being a U.S. Senator is a greater achievement. BUT his preference was Dr. Frist … and everyone addressed him as Dr. Frist. —- —- —-
—- — Senators who also were medical doctors or held academic doctorates …. all chose to be addressed as Senator (Surname).
—- — We address each person as they prefer to be addressed …. but when we encounter an exception it doesn’t change the rules ¬– it just stays an exception.
Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”
You can use these forms of address for any mode of communication: addressing a letter, invitation, card or Email. (If there are differences between the official and social forms of address, I will have mentioned the different forms.) The form noted in the salutation is the same form you say when you say their name in conversation or when you greet them.
___ What I don’t cover on this site are many things I do cover in my book: all the rules of forms of address, about names, international titles, precedence, complimentary closes, details on invitations, place cards, all sorts of introductions , etc. I hope you’ll get a copy of the book if you’d like the further detail.
—- #1) At right on desktops , at the bottom of every page on tablets and phones , is a list of all the offices, officials & topics covered on the site.
—- #2) If you don’t see the official you seek included or your question answered send me an e-mail. I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day or so (unless I am traveling.) Note: I don’t have mailing or Email addresses for any of the officials and I don’t keep track of offices that exist only in history books.
—- #3) If I think your question is of interest to others, Sometimes I post the question – but always change all the specifics.
