Atom Bomb Scientists... "Doctors"? Or Professors with "Doctorates"?

Question

Take a scientist like Enrico Fermi, who was involved with developing the atomic bomb during the Manhattan Project...

All his experiments took place on a university campus where he was a Professor of Physics.

So does that mean those who knew him - colleagues, assistants, students, security guards, etc. - would've addressed him as Professor Fermi? Or Doctor Fermi?

What about Albert Einstein? Did people refer to him as Professor? Or Doctor?

Answer 1

As a general rule, if someone has their doctorate, you refer to them as Doctor.. unless of course you know them personally and are on a first name basis. Aside from that, for teachers , professors, etc if they have a PhD after thier name, you refer to them as doctor.

Answer 2

I'm engineering student and all my professors have their Doctorates. Most students address them as Doctor. Some will occasionally use professor, but not usually. The teachers usually address each other by first name. If they talk to the class about another teacher then they will call them Doctor.

Answer 3

titles make my skin crawl. That's why I have a 'Dr' sign in front of my name. I'm no frikin PhD.

there's this guy who tutors us, and he has a PhD, but he just uses Mr. I like that, modesty, in spite of 6 or 7 years of hard work. I'll be the same if I ever get a doctorate. haha. I can hear all my Physics lecturers laughin

Answer 4

A professor is a doctor too, so either Dr. or Prof. is correct as a title. Since Prof. means you have more credentials (ie tenure), Prof. is a more distinguished title, so is prefered if you wish to wish to make such a distinction when he is introduced or addressd. It depends on the circumstances, in other words.

Answer 5

When I was a student, professors liked to be called "Prof."

That indicated courtesy without too much formality.

Answer 6

einstien was a proffesor im sure