PRESQUE ISLE – The governor, an Olympic gold medalist and a local humanitarian will be on hand for the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s graduation ceremony this weekend.

Gov. John Baldacci will address the Class of 2007, and Joan Benoit Samuelson and Stephen Richard will receive honorary doctor of humane letters degrees during UMPI’s commencement exercises on Saturday.

The three special guests share a commitment to health, education and the well-being of their fellow U.S. citizens, UMPI President Don Zillman said Thursday.

“The combination of Joan Benoit Samuelson, Stephen Richard and the governor makes a strong statement on human potential and the different ways that they excel,” Zillman said. “That’s certainly a message we hope to convey to our students, the graduates and the community.”

The president said hosting Samuelson at UMPI – she is the first Olympic gold medalist in women’s marathon – started out as wishful thinking when he and the governor were joking last year about being “fellow mediocre runners.”

“We discussed how neat it would be to have one of the world’s greatest runners of all time at graduation,” Zillman said. “Joan was gracious enough to accept.”

Samuelson, who lives in Freeport and was born in Cape Elizabeth, holds the U.S. record for the second-fastest time ever by a woman. She also won the Boston Marathon in 1979 and 1983, holds the record for the Chicago Marathon (1985), and, at 26, won the 1984 Olympic Marathon Trials just 21/2 weeks after knee surgery, according to a press release.

She now serves on the governor’s commission for health and fitness and promotes the world-famous Beach to Beacon 10k road race, which she founded.

Samuelson will be joined by Stephen Richard, who will receive an honorary degree for his work as executive director of the Central Aroostook Association for Retarded Citizens. For 15 years,

Richard has been a member of the Consumer Advisory Board; he has chaired it for the last six years. He also is board chairman of the Aroostook County Action Program, and was the contracted administrator for St. John Valley Associates in Madawaska, according to a press release.

Richard also has served twice as the United Way campaign chairman, and as co-director for almost three decades for the Aroostook County Special Olympics. He and his wife, Lucy, were named Presque Isle’s Citizens of the Year in 1998 and 1999, the Presque Isle Rotary Club named them Paul Harris Fellows, according to the release.

Also during graduation, the governor will deliver the commencement address. Baldacci has made health and education among his top priorities. He was born and raised in Bangor and worked for his family’s restaurant, where he was instilled with an intense work ethic and a desire to serve the people of Maine, according to a news release.

Baldacci earned his bachelor’s degree in history at the University of Maine and went on to serve on the Bangor City Council, the state Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives before becoming governor.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle commencement exercises will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 12, in Wieden Gymnasium.