MACHIAS — Special recognition was given to Marie B. Shaw of Marshfield during the 80th commencement of the University of Maine at Machias for outstanding dedication to her goals in education and her work in theater and the arts.

Shaw, a mother of six children and grandmother of seven, received a standing ovation during the university’s graduation ceremonies May 18. She is the widow of Dr. G. Bernard Shaw, a well-known surgeon and family doctor in the Down East area, who died four years ago.

In awarding the certificate to Shaw, the humanities division at UMM recognized her “contributions to theater and the arts at UMM over the last 20 years.” The document was signed by Frederic Reynolds, president of UMM; Jack Armstrong, vice president; and Geneva Frost, chairman of the humanities division.

Shaw graduated from UMM in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary-junior high education. Since then she has accumulated more than 80 additional credits at UMM, 50 of them in the arts. She has taken 28 courses in art, music and drama.

She has donated many hours work to the theater at UMM, helping with costumes. She has sewn and donated costumes for more than two dozen shows and has given workshops in costuming and makeup for theater-arts students. Shaw’s knowledge has been “an important resource in the development of UMM’s art programs and in particular in the development of costuming for the theater arts program,” the citation stated.

At 73, she already is looking ahead to her next semester at UMM, during which she will study advanced French and an additional course in theater.

Shaw also graduated from a business school in Toronto and a four-year school of dress design; attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and the Ontario College of Art; and was involved in costume design for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.’s television programs. “My boss was the husband of singer Anne Murray,” she said.

In the Machias Valley area Shaw has been active in community-improvement work. She was a positive influence on the Machias committee that encouraged the town to accept the Machias Mill property that later was sold by the town to the Maine Wild Blueberry Co. She initiated a Young Men’s Christian Association branch that was operated out of local churches and other buildings.

She was instrumental in forming the first council to combat drug abuse, directed several vaudeville shows in support of Down East Community Hospital, was the first vice president of DECH Auxiliary, and directed the annual Craftsman’s Guild and Blueberry Festival.

“If someone asks you what you are doing,” she said, “you ought to be able to say that you are active, doing things for other people and doing something personally satisfying,” Shaw said.

A total of 98 degrees were conferred by President Frederic Reynolds and Vice President Jack Armstrong. Thomas A. Greenquist, chairman of the board of directors of Bangor Hydro-Electric Co., delivered the commencement address.