Forms of Address

This table is a general guide for official correspondence.  The final authority for protocol information is the U.S. State Department.

Personage Business Address Salutation (letter)
President The President
(Address)
Dear Mr. President
Vice President The Vice President
(Address)
Dear Mr. Vice President
Cabinet Members The Honorable (Name)
Secretary of_____
The Honorable (Name) Attorney General of the United States
(Address)
Dear Mr. Secretary (Mr. Attorney General), or Dear Madam Secretary
Supreme Court The Chief Justice of the United States
(Address) Justice (Name)
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Dear Chief Justice, or
Dear Chief Justice (Name) Dear Justice (Name) or
Dear Madam Justice
U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable (Name)
(Address)
Dear Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Miss (Last Name)
U.S. Senate The Honorable (Name)
(Address)
Dear Senator (Last Name)
Governor The Honorable (Name)
Governor of (State)
(Address)
Dear Governor (Last Nane)
Lieutenant Governor The Honorable (Name)
Lieutenant Governor of (State)
(Address)
Dear Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss (Last Name)
Attorney General (State) The Honorable (Name)
Attorney General
State of (State)
(Address)
Dear Mr. or Madam Attorney General
Secretary of State (State) The Honorable (Name)
Secretary of State of (State)
Address
Dear Mr. or Madam Secretary
Comptroller The Honorable (Name)
Comptroller of (State)
Address
Dear Mr. (Last Name)
Treasurer The Honorable (Name)
Treasurer of (State)
(Address)
Dear Mr. (Last Name)
Governor's Executive Council The Honorable (Name)
(Secretary of ____of State of Maryland
(Address)
Dear Mr. or Madam Secretary
Maryland Senators The Honorable (Name)
(Address)
Dear Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Miss (Last name)
Maryland House of Delegates The Honorable (Name)
(Address)
Dear Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Miss (Last name)
County Executive The Honorable (Name) County Executive of Anne Arundel County
(Address)
Dear County Executive (Last Name)
Anne Arundel County Council The Honorable (Name)
(Address)
Dear Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Miss (Last Name)

The following are additional protocols:

Baldrige, Letitia. Complete Guide to the New Manners for the '90s. Rawson Associates, New York 1990 (395 B)

Post, Peggy. Emily Post's Etiquette. 16 th edition. HarperCollins, New York 1997 (R 395 P, 395 P)

McCaffree, Mary Jane and Innis, Pauline. Protocol, the Complete Handbook of Diplomatic, Official and Social Usage. Devon, Washington D.C. 1989 (R 395 M)Vanderbilt, Amy. The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette. Doubleday, New York. 1978 (395 B)

NOTE: ( ) gives the Anne Arundel County Public Library Dewey Catalog shelf number


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