Dr. Jill Biden, former second lady, is urging people to celebrate the accomplishments of women.
“Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished,” she tweeted on Sunday evening.
Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished.
— Dr. Jill Biden (@DrBiden) December 14, 2020
Her remarks on Twitter come shortly after an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal was published on Friday, which criticized Biden for her “Dr.” title before her name.
Joseph Epstein writes in the op-ed, “Madame First Lady—Mrs. Biden—Jill—kiddo: a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter. Any chance you might drop the ‘Dr.’ before your name? ‘Dr. Jill Biden’ sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic.”
The op-ed continues:
“Your degree is, I believe, an Ed.D., a doctor of education, earned at the University of Delaware through a dissertation with the unpromising title ‘Student Retention at the Community College Level: Meeting Students’ Needs.’ A wise man once said that no one should call himself ‘Dr.’ unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr. Jill, and forthwith drop the doc.”
Epstein later concludes, “As for your Ed.D., Madame First Lady, hard-earned though it may have been, please consider stowing it, at least in public, at least for now. Forget the small thrill of being Dr. Jill, and settle for the larger thrill of living for the next four years in the best public housing in the world as First Lady Jill Biden.”
Biden earned her Doctorate in Education in 2007 from the University of Delaware. “Her dissertation focused on maximizing student retention in community colleges,” the Obama administration’s White House page reads.
Biden’s spokesperson slammed the WSJ for the op-ed, calling it a “disgusting and sexist attack.” Her spokesperson tweeted, “If you had any respect for women at all you would remove this repugnant display of chauvinism from your paper and apologize to her.”
President-elect Joe Biden’s communications director Kate Bedingfield also tweeted in response to the op-ed, “What patronizing, sexist, elitist drivel. Dr. B earned a doctorate in education, so we call her Doctor. The title Mr. Epstein has earned here is perhaps not fit for mixed company.”
Additionally, Northwestern University pushed back on the piece. The university is where Epstein noted in the op-ed he taught for 30 years.
“We do not agree with Mr. Epstein’s opinion and believe the designation of doctor is well deserved by anyone who has earned a Ph.D., an Ed.D. or an M.D.,” the university wrote in a statement, adding that it “disagrees with Mr. Epstein’s misogynistic views.”