The Honorable + Another Title

How to Address an High Official Who Has a Second Title?

How would one address a retired US Senator who is now a US Ambassador? In writing are they both The Honorable (full name)? Is Senator higher than Ambassador? Or, is it a matter of which job was last? That was ambassador. Perhaps I address him as Ambassador (Name)?

———————-– Thomas Manning

How would one address a retired Army General who is was a Secretary of a U.S. Department (member of the President’s Cabinet)? Is he: ‘The Honorable General (Full Name), USA, Retired’?

———————-– LPD

Dear TM & LPD:

—-#1) In the USA, we address a person with one title at a time.

——–Never: The Honorable General (Full Name)

——–It’s either/or – never both.

—-Both a Senator and US Ambassador are addressed on an envelope as:

—-—-The Honorable (Full Name)

—-—-(Address)

—-Depending on the nature of your interaction in the salutation use the honorific that’s pertinent:

—-—-Yes: Senator (Surname)

—-—-—-or How to Address a Person with Two Titles

—-—-Yes: Ambassador (Surname)

—-#2) For the holder of a high office addressed as the Honorable – who also holds a military rank – Colin Powell is an example many people are familiar with. He served both as a high government official and a military officer. Both come with special forms of address

—-As a former Secretary of State he is addressed on the envelope as:

—-—-The Honorable Colin Powell

—-—-(Address)

—-In the salutation or conversation address as:

—-—-Mr. Powell,

—-—-Don’t use ‘Mr. Secretary’ or ‘Secretary Powell’. Formers are not address by office.

—-As a retired US Army officer he is addressed in writing as:

—-—-General Colin Powell, USA, Retired

—-and in the salutation or conversation as:

—-—-General Powell

—-#2) What if the communication doesn’t exactly apply to one or the other role? If the interaction is not directly related to either exactly, find out which is the preference of the individual. If one is a higher rank – they likely prefer it. If one is how they were addressed for most of their life – they might prefer that.

– Robert Hickey How to Address a Person with Two Titles