Marguerite Shotwell, 82, is one of the oldest people ever to get a degree from UF, and her future looks bright.
By ROBERT KING
Published May 3, 2003
[Times photos:Daniel Wallace]
Marguerite Shotwell talks to her granddaughter, Sandra Brown and her son Royal, 5, while waiting for commencement.
Barbara O'Dell, left, reads a present given by Dr. Galli Kauwell to Marguerite Shotwell.
Family members, Jenna Brown, 10, top left, Larry O'Dell, Jaylyn Brown, 8, and Larry Shotwell cheer as Marguerite Shotwell receives her diploma.
GAINESVILLE - When most seniors hear their name called at graduation, it is usually accompanied by polite applause and a lone shout from a proud parent across the auditorium.
But when 82-year-old Marguerite Shotwell graduated Friday from the University of Florida, more than 7,000 people rose spontaneously and gave the Spring Hill woman a standing ovation.
And for good reason.
Shotwell is among the oldest graduates in UF's history. And never has someone as old as she graduated from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
Since student records went electronic at UF in 1978, Shotwell ranks as the university's second oldest graduate. The oldest, a member of the Class of 2000, was 30 days older than Shotwell on his graduation day.
More than any record, Friday's graduation marked the end of a college career begun 65 years ago and interrupted - after Shotwell's junior year at Michigan State - by World War II.
Shotwell withdrew from college in 1941 when her husband, Eldon, was assigned to an Army base in Texas. They expected his stay in the Army to last just a year. But war broke out, and he was called on for 51/2 years. By then, Shotwell had children. Not graduating would become one of the great regrets of her life.
Only three years ago, after her Aunt Betty died at 104 and left her some money, did Shotwell find she was in a position to erase that regret. She enrolled at UF. Three semesters and a summer school class later, she has a degree in dietetics.
Though she could easily pass for 70, Shotwell and her gray hair stood out Friday among the hundreds of robed graduates in their early 20s. Strangers came up to her after the ceremony and told how she was an inspiration to women and to older people.
In the parking lot, 40-year-old Dee Dee Carver of Chiefland, on hand to watch her niece graduate, flagged down Shotwell and said: "We was all hollering for you. It's a good thing you've done."
But not all of Shotwell's fans were strangers.
About 60 people - mostly friends from Spring Hill who know her as "Midge" - formed a Shotwell cheering section in the audience. And they melded into a crowd of about 100 family members and friends who attended a post-graduation reception at a Gainesville bed and breakfast.
Betty McCarthy and Nancy Vincent, two of Shotwell's neighbors from Timber Pines, left Spring Hill at 5:30 a.m. to drive up for graduation.
McCarthy, who moved to Timber Pines a year and a half ago, said Shotwell threw her a cocktail party when she arrived so she could make some friends. Vincent said that is the kind of person that Shotwell is.
"She is such an inspiration," Vincent said. "When you talk about people to mentor you, you can never find a better mentor than Midge."
Judy Clark, who knows Shotwell from their shared membership in a philanthropic organization that provides scholarships for women, said Shotwell's achievement is a great example.
"It's a lesson for all women, no matter what their age or station in life," Clark said.
Manfred Diehl, a UF psychology professor involved in the university's Institute on Aging, came to know Shotwell as a student. But Shotwell may soon become his subject in a study of how elderly people react to day-to-day stresses.
Diehl said there is a college in New England that specifically caters to the elderly. And college campuses across the country have invited elderly people to take part in classes, particularly during summers. But in the years to come, as baby boomers age, he expects more seniors to return to school full time.
"Learning occurs across the lifespan," he said. "With appropriate motivation, we can make our last hour of life a learning experience."
In his studies, Diehl said he once met a 76-year-old man who went back to college and got a degree. But never has he met a graduate as old as Shotwell. For now, she is a woman ahead of her time, he said.
"Marguerite is definitely an example of what we call a successful ager - someone who stands out and makes the aging experience a positive one," Diehl said.
Shotwell, who has blushed at the attention given her, seemed embarrassed by the standing ovation at the ceremony. Looking ahead, Shotwell says she is not done yet. She just isn't sure what comes next. For now, celebrating graduation is enough.
"I'm just numb. I feel like I'm in a dream and I'm going to wake up and it hasn't happened," Shotwell said. "Not just the graduation, but the whole college experience."
- Robert King covers Spring Hill and can be reached at 848-1432. Send email to rking@sptimes.com
