Content area
Full text
A trio of college professors have been trying to straighten out the confusion that has existed for the past two decades on the campus of Cal State Northridge.
Meet Dr. Robert Docter, Dr. Richard Docter and Dr. Ronald Doctor, three psychologists who collectively perplex CSUN students, faculty members and the general public.
"Everybody gets us confused. All the time," said Ronald Doctor. "Mail is always confused. Phone calls are confused. I don't know how many times I've had term papers where I'll look at it, start reading it and think, `Where did this student come from?' "
On the third floor of the Sierra South building, his mailbox in the psychology department is right below Richard Docter's mailbox. They're labeled R. Docter and R. Doctor.
"I pasted an arrow saying Richard Docter, pointing to my box, but it doesn't do the trick," Richard Docter said. "I've had people write a paper for me and at the last minute, they get a little mixed up, and they put down Ronald Doctor on the paper, even if it's for me."
Across campus, in the educational psychology and counseling department, is the office of Robert Docter, who is Richard Docter's fraternal twin. Despite the distance, he is not immune to being mistaken for his brother or their fellow psychologist with the nearly identical last name. And the same goes for his mail.
One of his students once turned in a paper a little late, but by the time it was in the right hands, an incomplete mark had been recorded on her transcript.
"The paper showed up half a semester late in my brother's mailbox. We finally got it figured out," said the professor, who prefers to be called Bob Docter.
Even CSUN President James W. Cleary sometimes calls Richard Docter by his brother's name.
"He addresses me as Bob. I kind of take it as a compliment, because he has hundreds and hundreds of faculty members. The fact that he can get that close is far better than I could do," Richard Docter said.
Other colleagues also have trouble remembering who's who.
"They can't quite remember what my first name is. Some of...