word choice - "Gained the academic title of professor"

I have a bit of a problem finding the right way to say/write the following:

Gained the academic title of professor of xxx.

Is the choice of gained fine, or should I use some other verb that is used more frequently in this context? Maybe obtain or earn, or something else, is more proper?

Also, should it be "the academic title" at all, or rather a "degree"? I personally didn't use degree because I would use it when emphasizing a Baccalaureate as opposed to Master's degree, for example. In this case, it's just a matter of simply stating the fact that a certain title (degree?) is a result of studies.

Lastly, maybe professor should be capitalized?

I know, these questions must be awful and ridiculous, but it's been a long time since I even had to use my English in a serious situation. So I trust I'll get some help here.

Answer

Question 1:

I would say Earned, which is more commonly used with diplomas and degrees.

Question 2:

Not degree in this situation. Becoming a professor doesn't facilitate receiving a degree. It's most likely just "title" in this case.

Question 3:

Professor should only be capitalised if you put it before a name: "He is a professor" and "Professor James."

These are not stupid questions. These are very good questions that some people don't ask because they think people will look down on them for asking them. It's good that you are curious about things like these. The more you learn, the better.