TITLES OF PERSONS

As a general rule when a title precedes a name, it is capitalized. When a title follows the name, or is in apposition to a proper name, it is lowercased. In the case of a long or unwieldy title, reorganize the sentence structure so that the title follows the name.

See also:   ABBREVIATIONS, CLERGY, FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS,

                     NICKNAMES OF PERSONS, ROYALTY AND NOBILITY,

                     and individual entries: Jr., Sr., III, sir.

                     AIR FORCE, ARMY, COAST GUARD, MARINE CORPS, , NAVY,

                     special forces, armed forces, armed services, MILITARY RANKS,

                     MILITARY UNITS, Ranger, Rangers, SEAL, SEALs.

1.

2.

Military and religious titles

Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the general

Adm. Sir Frances Beaufort; Admiral Beaufort; Sir Frances

General Lord Cornwallis

Dean Oliver Payne; Oliver Payne, the dean of the cathedral; the dean of St. Mark's; the dean

the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin; the cardinal

Archbishop James A. Hickey; but Catholic archbishop James A. Hickey; James A. Hickey, the archbishop; the archbishop of Washington

Civil and professional titles

President Barack Obama; but U.S. president Barack Obama; the president

Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman; Samuel W. Bodman, secretary of energy; the secretary of energy; the energy secretary; the secretary

House Speaker Paul Ryan; the speaker of the House; the speaker

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott; Senator Lott, the majority leader

Prime Minister David Cameron; but British prime minister David Cameron; David Cameron, prime minister of Great Britain; the prime minister

Senator Tom O'Neill; the senator from Alabama, Tom O'Neill

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; Eleanor Holmes Norton, congresswoman from D.C. or representative from D.C.; the congresswoman or the representative

Mayor Amanda MacEvitt; but San Diego mayor Amanda MacEvitt; the mayor; the mayor of San Diego

Park Superintendent Lynn Addison, the superintendent

assistant park superintendent Catherine Barker

park ranger Kevin P. Allen

research editor Heidi Schultz

sanitation engineer Throckmorton K. Zandervelt III

Officer John Hoeffel, but police officer John Hoeffel, and former officer John Hoeffel

3.

4.

5.

Academic titles:  Do not use the title Dr. (whether for M.D. or Ph.D.) before the full name.

Carolyn White, Walt Whitman Professor of English

Professor of Anthropology Alice Jones; Alice Jones, professor of anthropology; Jones

James Robert Gray, professor emeritus of radiation biology at Harvard Medical School

Corporation titles:  At Sweeney Enterprise, President Karen E. Gibbs introduced me to bookkeeper Cathy Newman, security officer Sally S. Summerall, and general manager Whitney Dangerfield.

Honorifics are capped:

6.

Epithets and appellations are capped if well established, but lowercased and quoted if less firmly established: