Thank you - that would explain it. Tho' it also cuts him down a notch in my eyes... Smacks of some pretty serious elitism when you add a [sic] after a correct Mr. just because you prefer Dr.
I find it fairly comical when a PhD corrects the DMV clerk or the hotel registrar, "That's Dr. Jones, not Mr. Jones." In such a setting, who cares? Even most MD's will not bother to do so.
However, this is a formal letter to a university chancellor regarding a professor at the university. Use of "Dr." or "Prof." in this context is standard, and her failure to do so is either a sign of great ignorance or a deliberate insult.
-ccm
I think it's just academician's gamesmanship, his doing that.
Consider the opposite. She was writing a letter to his supervisor and colleagues. She was constantly referring to him as "Mr." instead of by his earned title, thus she was trying to belittle him in the eyes of those to whom the letter was addressed. Often times a person with a PhD. may use the title to drive home a point to a specific person, not out of elitism.
Case in point: A friend of mine is a PhD. in materials and is often called to give testimony in law suits, regarding failure analysis of various items. During one cross examination, an especially rude attorney kept referring to him as "Mr.". This occurred repeatedly, w/o a word from him. But, after one utterance, the Attorney, referring to him as "Mr." caught himself and asked with obvious contempt: "Or is that "Dr."
That was the opening. My friend needed. He then responded 'Well, actually, now that you have kind enough to ask me, I am a Doctor of Materials Science with degrees from MIT and UCLA and I would appreciate being addressed by my proper title."
After that the attorney was flustered and embarrassed on several occasions. The questioning was soon ended.
Of course you're entitled to your opinion, but I think it's a rather tasteful way of displaying just how petty his critic is.