Alumni Profile - Mel Lindauer ‘81
Former US Marine and Delaware County Community College graduate Mel Lindauer has led a substantial life that culminated in his success as a marine, College grad, entrepreneur, parent, grand-parent and now Boglehead? Here's what he explained in an interview.
What year did you graduate from Delaware County Community College and with what degree?
I graduated in the spring of 1981 with a degree in Business Management.
Did you pursue further academic goals?
After high school, I served in the Marine Corps where I passed the college-level GED. After leaving the Marine Corps, I attended Temple University at night in order to earn a degree in Business Management. Before completing my degree, I left Temple to start my business. Later, I became a real "non-traditional student" at Delaware County Community College. I chose to attend The College because they really worked with me to evaluate my educational background, my military service and my college-level GED to figure out the best course of action for my education.
Where are you now?
I started my own business, Fidelity Graphics, in 1967 and retired from it in 1997, leaving it in good hands with my two sons Gary ’87 and Larry ’91. And now my grandson, Zachary Rouleau, who is graduating from The College on May 19, is also working in the business. My daughter, Shari Rouleau (also a graduate of the College) worked in the business for a number of years. So we now have three generations of College grads involved in the business.
After retiring, I studied for and earned professional designations as a Certified Fund Specialist from The Institute of Business and Management and as a Wealth Management Specialist from Kaplan College.
I am currently one of the founders and leaders of www.bogleheads.org, the number one investing forum on the internet.
What is next for you professionally?
I have written two books, The Bogleheads Guide to Investing (2006) and The Bogleheads Guide to Retirement Planning (2009)and recently began work on a third. Our website, www.bogleheads.org receives over 1 million hits a month, and my work has led to being interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Money, US News & World Report, Business Week and Forbes Magazine, among others. In fact, Forbes has asked me to contribute a bi-weekly column. I’ve also appeared on CNN.
Finally, I am the President of the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization which is charged with providing programs to teach educators to train students at younger ages about financial literacy. Our ultimate goal is improved financial literacy for all Americans. The Center is named for John C. Bogle, Founder and Retired Chairman and CEO of The Vanguard Group, based in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
What advice would you give to current students and Alumni to capitalize on the education they received from the College?
There is no such thing as too much education. Students really need to buckle down while they’re in school. They need to understand that they’re in college for an education; they can party later. Today’s students need to develop a strong work ethic, something that’s often lacking in today’s society. There’s so much to be learned, and they should take advantage of their college years to be a sponge and absorb as much as they can. Take advantage of this great learning experience. Don’t be in a hurry to get out of school, thinking you’ll finish your degree later. Once you get further along in your life, going back to school is much more difficult, due to family and job responsibilities.
