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From: see1@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Ellen Seebacher)
Newsgroups: soc.women
Subject: Re: Wanted: Business-letter greeting
Message-ID: <633@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Sep-86 03:37:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: sphinx.633
Posted: Wed Sep 17 03:37:38 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 23-Sep-86 02:01:50 EDT
References: <157@zen.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: see1@sphinx.UUCP (Ellen Seebacher)
Organization: Univ. of Chicago Computation Center
Lines: 29

Ranjit Bhatnagar writes:

>I'm about to apply to graduate schools, so I'll be writing a lot of
>letters to various admissions departments.  I would like to find non-
>sexist alternatives to the usual greetings "Dear Sirs" and "Gentlemen"
>which don't sound TOO forced.  Any suggestions are appreciated.
>
>	Ranjit


Your best bet is always, repeat ALWAYS, to use the name of the person
to whom you are writing.  If you know enough about a department to be
applying to it, you should possess the name of its director -- if not
in its own publications, then in the various commercial school guides.

However:  in my other incarnation, as an administrative assistant (i.e.,
glorified secretary), I write a lot of letters asking for information
from unknown persons.  I almost always use "Dear Sir or Madam:", but
when I get bored, I use "Dear Madam or Sir:".  Try it.  You'll like it.


Ellen Keyne Seebacher, Admin. Asst., 
  Arthur L. Conn & Associates, Ltd.

(Advisor, Univ. of Chicago Computation Center:  
   known_world!ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!see1)
-- 

Ellen Keyne Seebacher                     ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!see1