Q. I am most comfortable lowercasing job titles after people’s names (e.g., John Smith, director of marketing), but I struggle when the title is something like this: John Smith, William G. Brown Professor of Education. It seems that the latter example is some kind of appointment, and I’m wondering if it should be treated any differently or if, following CMS, it would be correct to write, John Smith, William G. Brown professor of education. Thanks!
A. There is definitely a difference; a named chair is a proper noun, and the entire title must be capped: John Smith, William G. Brown Professor of Education. Please see CMOS 8.28.