Listing Husband & Wife's names when he is a Jr.

[kricks]

I need to list a husband and wife by name on a ballot. The husband is a junior. I was ask to be sure and include their first names so I can't get by with Mr. & Mrs. John Doe, Jr. If her name was Jane, how would I incorporate the names John & Jane and also include the Jr.
Would it be John and Jane Doe, Jr.,
John Doe, Jr. & Jane Doe,
or something else?
Thanks

 

[Amigos4]

I need to list a husband and wife by name on a ballot. The husband is a junior. I was ask to be sure and include their first names so I can't get by with Mr. & Mrs. John Doe, Jr. If her name was Jane, how would I incorporate the names John & Jane and also include the Jr.
Would it be John and Jane Doe, Jr.,
John Doe, Jr. & Jane Doe,
or something else?
Thanks

Hi, kricks! Welcome to the forums!

You have a couple of options you could use:
* John and Jane Doe, Jr.
* John Doe, Jr. & Jane Doe

I assume from your question that both John and Jane will be elected to the same position. Is this assumption correct?

Cheers,
Amigo

 

[kricks]

Thank you for your response. Something kept bothering me so I went digging and finally found my old etiquette notes from the early 60’s. I knew I remembered there was a problem with John & Jane Doe, Jr. The example there was you should use Mr. & Mrs. John Doe, Jr. never John & Jane Doe, Jr. I had also written a note about junior, senior, Jr. Sr. III., etc. being proper for some women’s names and had listed Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (Anna Eleanor Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s daughter) as an example. She was named for her mother and grandmother and her name was Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

Since I am supposed to use first names I'm going to use John Doe, Jr. and Jane Doe or break with tradition and list “Jane’s” name first and go with Jane & John Doe, Jr. I wonder if that would be breaking the rules of etiquette.

 

[Amigos4]

Hi, kricks!

It would be helpful if you would provide more context about the ballot. Just how formal does the list of candidate names have to be? As I see it, from the ballot perspective, you may have a problem if a couple is living together but they are not married, or they are married but the wife may have kept her maiden name. What will you do if the couple is gay and married? Will singles be listed on the ballot?

I do not see an ettiquette problem arising as long as you follow a consistent pattern for listing the names.

Good luck,
Amigo

 

[kricks]

Sorry, I thought I had explained. It is a ballot for membership. It is not formal, but I like my documents to be correct. In the example I'm using for this forum the wife's name is Jane Doe and she is NOT a junior. Her husband's name is John Doe, Jr. They have elected to be voted on as a couple -- applied for family (not individual) membership.

There is also another family applying for membership on the same ballot. For this example his name is Imma and her name is Bea. He is not a junior so they will be listed on the ballot as Imma and Bea Sample.

The format we have been using for family membership (when no suffix was needed) is
John and Jane Doe
and for individual membership just the individual's name such as Lone Wolf, or Lone Wolf, Jr.

The way I see it, I have two options.
Break with the traditioanl and list them as John Doe, Jr. and Jane Doe -- somethine we have only been doing for domestic partners or in situations where a husband and wife have different last names.

Or list Jane's name befor her husbands -- also a break with traditional etiquette.

I guess I'm just too traditional.

 

[Amigos4]

kricks,

My suggestion would be to leave out the 'Jr.' and go with 'John and Jane Doe'. This would mirror the listing format of 'Imma and Bea Sample'.

I doubt if the other members of the group will care if the suffix is not listed after the Doe family name. Everyone will know who 'John and Jane Doe' are and I doubt if many members will greet John as 'John, Jr.' when they socialize. Unless John Doe, Sr. is a member of the group, I would leave the suffix off of the ballot.

Let me know what you finally decide to do...I'm curious!

Best wishes,
Amigo

 

[kricks]

You hit it on the head. His father is already a member and they have been sure to underline the Jr. on all their paperwork. Oh well guess this is one situation where I just can't win
Thanks

 

[Amigos4]

Lucky you, kricks!!!!

I wouldn't lose any sleep over the issue! Go with 'Junior and Jane Doe' and see what the reaction is!!!!!!

Good luck, my friend!

Cheers,
Amigo

 

[RALADD]

There seems to be an issue regarding the etiquette of the first names and who goes first. Traditional etiquette (Crane's Blue Book and Miss Manners in their most recent tomes- 2002 & 2005, respectively) state that, whenever first names are used, the lady is first (Jane and John Doe). Emily Post states that "Jane and John Doe" used to be the rule (the man's first and surname were never to be separate), but now, "John and Jane Doe" is acceptable (please see link below). The "junior" truly throws a monkey wrench in it, though. I believe the most appropriate & correct thing would be to state "Mr & Mrs John Doe, jr". As a second runner up, I would use "Jane Doe and John Doe, jr). Best of luck to you.
Emily Post Institute—Forms of Address
Edit-- I just realized that "Jane and John Doe, jr" would be perfectly correct. I saw it a few minutes ago & can't find the link again. You are not implying she is Jane Doe, jr: she is Mrs. John Doe, Jr, so that would make sense.

 

[susiedqq]

Another thing is the "," sometimes placed before the Jr.

I'd leave it out.

Fred Jones Jr. and Mrs. Jones

or

Fred and Mary Jones Jr.

 

[kricks]

Fred and Mary Jones Jr is NOT correct. She is not a Jr.
RALADD gave the correct response
Thanks Raladd

 

[RALADD]

Kricks,
Glad to help! Have a good day!