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
Street Address
City, State, ZIP
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 orThe Reverend Dennis and Dr. Marilyn Winslow
“The Reverend” always precedes a full name. …. and since she get’s “Dr.” she’d get her own name. If she didn’t have a doctorate .. then this would work:
The Reverend Dennis Winslow
and Mrs. Winslow
Street Address
City, State, ZIP
— Robert Hickey www.formsofaddress.info
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