Robert W. Franks founded the Plainism Institute in 1953 following what he has described, on the one occasion he was asked, as "a perfectly satisfactory Wednesday." He has not elaborated on this. He does not feel elaboration is necessary. The Wednesday speaks for itself.
He was born on March 4, 1926, in Plano, Illinois, where he has lived continuously. He attended the local schools, which he found adequate. He has no complaints about his education. He has no complaints about Plano. He has no complaints about the weather, which he monitors but does not discuss at length, as length would suggest the weather has done something worth discussing.
He met Carol at a function he describes as reasonable. He called twice. They were married the following spring. He describes the marriage as going well. Carol agrees that it is going well. This is the entirety of what Robert has said about his marriage in seventy-one years of publication, and he considers it sufficient.
— R.W. Franks, on the founding of the Plainism Institute, 1953
The Plainism Institute began publication in the spring of 1953 with a circulation that Robert describes as appropriate for the time. The publication has continued quarterly without interruption. Robert has written every issue. He does not take vacations, as he finds the concept raises more questions than it answers.
He was named Man of the Year in 1958 by an organization he declines to specify, on the grounds that specifying it would draw more attention to the matter than the matter warrants. He accepted the distinction. He has not mentioned it since, except in the masthead of this publication, where it appears because it is a fact and facts belong in mastheads.
Robert drives a 1957 Buick. He purchased it new. It has performed adequately in the intervening years. He has had it serviced at the appropriate intervals. He does not feel this requires further comment, though he notes that Gary also drives a reliable vehicle, which is one of several reasons Gary has been Man of the Month four times.
His lawn has never required a second mowing in the same week. He considers this the result of planning, and he considers planning the result of adequate character, and he considers adequate character the subject of this publication, which is why the publication exists, which is why he started it on that Wednesday, which was, as previously noted, perfectly satisfactory.