Respectful Address Quotes
Dwight D. Eisenhower had become President of Columbia University. At one of his first meetings with the Faculty Senate, Eisenhower in response to a question stated that the University could not countenance such a policy. At this point, Professor Highit, the Dean of the Faculty Senate, interrupted Eisenhower with this legendary quotation. At Columbia as well as many other of the best private universities, it is the faculty Senate that is the highest educational policy making organ. See {634253} for one of the origins of this. Eisenhower and the University were both great but they were a bad fit. Some historians believe that it was the bad experience at Columbia that brought Eisenhower into Presidential politics. If he had been successful at Columbia, he might have stayed there for his career.
Many people notice that in the House of Representatives in a debate or a speech the speaker always addresses “Mr. Speaker.” This was the rule voted on by the first House. The purpose was to avoid the legislators shouting at each other and getting into personal arguments and insulting each other. Try it. It’s hard to be angry with someone when you have to argue through a third person.
Rehnquist was a bit of an egomaniac. He was more pompous than other chief justices and was distressed that lawyers in oral arguments would address him as “Mr. Justice,” like the other justices, which he felt did not give sufficient deference to his position. He also designed a set of judicial robes for himself which instead of being all black as was traditional and worn by the other justices, had 4 gold stripes on each arm sleeve. See the photograph of the Chief Justice.
