What makes a person a professor or non-MD doctor?

[gary]

Balloonist Thaddeus Lowe wasn't affiliated with any university and as far as I can tell from F. Standbury Haydon's book, Military Ballooning during the Early Civil War, he wasn't educated either. What qualified him or anyone else for the professor title in the mid 19th Century? Granted Lowe did a lot of "home study" on his own before meeting the then experts, but then again, I don't believe Lowe as affiliated with any university or college. Thanks in advance.

[larry_cockerham]

Gary, all you got to do to be a professor is to proclaim you is one. Now, if you want a job at most colleges, you'll need some sort of degree, but not necessarily so. On occasions that is also an honorary appelation. My second cousin a few time removed was a professional baseball pitcher. He was known as Prof Weaver cause he taught calculus at Emory & Henry College, probably as an associate or perhaps full professor. They are ranked in colleges by degrees and experience, but not in the rest of the world. If you profess a knowledge of civil war weapony, you are a professor. That might not land you a job at Harvard, but it could if enough kids signed up for the class and put out the bucks for the tuition. Love makes the world go round, but money greases the wheel?

[matthew mckeon]

Anyone who teaches in a college can be legitimately called a professor. Professor is a job title, while a Doctor(Ph. D) refers to the person's education. Since World War II, its been rare to find a professor who isn't also a Ph.D.

As far as Thaddeus Lowe is concerned, if he wasn't a college level instructor at some point, the title could be "self conferred."

[gary]

Hank Trent of CivilWarReenactor provided this response:

“Among educated men, the title of professor has hitherto been applied to two classes of teachers: those who have been called to a professorship in a college, or other institution of learning of high rank, and those who are eminent scholars in some particular science or branch of learning, and who make the same a speciality in the work of instruction.”

Of course, there is always the uneducated men who are more akin to snake-oil salesmen worthy of P. T. Barnum.

[matthew mckeon]

Lowe started calling himself as professor after he served as an assistant to another "professor(more like a public lecturer)." Lowe did work in science diligently, identifying the jet stream and theorizing on its influence on flight, and studying and using hydrogen gas. So he wasn't a professor like Professor Harold Hill.

[gary]

I annoint myself professor and profess to know absolutely nothing. At least Lowe learned something through diligent research and study with others in the field. I can see why he was justified as opposed to the Barnam & Bailey type professor.

[Lancer]

I hold a juris doctor degree, which theoretically entitles me to call myself doctor, but I would never, ever do so.

It's largely an ego thing, I think.

Eric

[ole]

It's largely an ego thing, I think.

I agree. I've known PhD's who insisted that I drop the "Doctor" foofoo. And I've known some who insisted on being addressed as "Doctor."

So he wasn't a professor like Professor Harold Hill.

Is it true that little minds run in the same little circles? (You stole my line.)

ole

[Stephen Poleskie]

Originally Posted by gary

Balloonist Thaddeus Lowe wasn't affiliated with any university and as far as I can tell from F. Standbury Haydon's book, Military Ballooning during the Early Civil War, he wasn't educated either. What qualified him or anyone else for the professor title in the mid 19th Century? Granted Lowe did a lot of "home study" on his own before meeting the then experts, but then again, I don't believe Lowe as affiliated with any university or college. Thanks in advance.

Thaddeus S. C. Lowe did not even finish grade school. He dropped out and ran away from his home in New Hampshire to apprentice as a bootmaker with his brother in Boston. He adopted the title "professor" when he took over a magic show he later worked with. He felt that the title would give him more panache. This show was more of a science show than the slight of hand as we know magic today. He used his knowledge of balloons to set up one of his original tricks. He just kept using the title "professor" and it stuck with him. This information on Lowe, and the story of how he set up the Balloon Corps during the Civil War, can be found in my book THE BALLOONIST, The Story of T. S. C. Lowe, Inventor, Scientist, Magician, and Father of the U. S. Airforce, Frederic C. Beil, Publisher, 2007.
Stephen Poleskie

[Mark Wadsworth]

Originally Posted by larry_cockerham

Gary, all you got to do to be a professor is to proclaim you is one.

Well in that case call me Professor Mark.