Evidently, Jill Biden, our soon-to-be First Lady has earned a PhD from the University of Delaware in Education. Good for her. (I'm not sure if it's an EDD or a PhD, but you get my point).
Evidently also, she takes umbrage when not addressed as Doctor. And folks have called her on it.
In the course of my life, both professional and private, I've known many people with advanced degrees in a number of fields. Esoteric fields. In education, and philosophy, in history and English lit. A couple with PhDs in Economics. A smattering of physicians in various disciplines. One fellow who I really like, earned a doctorate in optical physics. (While you're scratching your head, think about lasers.)
One particular fellow, a dear family friend with an education degree, I chided constantly for being educated far past his native intelligence. Oh, he knew his field, but would admit easily that he stayed in college until they finally pitched him out and he had to get a job. What really aggravated him was the Belle's little Associate degree in Nursing earned her a better salary than his advanced degree.
The only folks I call "Doctor" are my personal physicians. Unless I'm in a formal ceremony, or unless I wnt to bring out the sarcasm. I'll ding them good, as in, "Well done Doc! Did they teach you to use a spoon at that big university?" If they want to be silly, I'll use that to my advantage.
4 comments:
Tucker Carlson says Jill Biden has the same degree as Dr. Bill Cosby and Dr. Pepper... Brilliant.
Joe
https://theviewfromladylake.blogspot.com/
My dearly departed (2002) uncle had a doctorate of law,but I don't know the exact degree (there are several). He was always just good old Uncle Donald.
I mentioned my favorite cousin before . Professor Larry . Not just doctor but a step up . Professor ! 12 or so years of studying history at Ohio State . And chasing girls . Larry liked girls . Never had a fulltime job and eschewed work in any form but he would sit all day in a tree stand at 15 below zero . Died of cancer at a young age [49] and never had a child that he knew of . Loved him a lot and preached the Gospel to him even on his death bed . Hope he got the message . His last tree stand is grown into the old Black Walnut in my river valley as a monument to my favorite cousin and best friend . He served in the US Army intelligence in Nam and the stories he shared when Uncle Jim Beam took hold would curl your toes .
I've always cherished the reply Malvina Reynolds, the Ph.D. folklorist, made to an interviewer who called her "Doctor". She said "I'm not the kind of doctor who does anyone any good."
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