Frank Douglas Mainous was born on August 31, 1918, in Appalachia, Virginia. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, and a Master of Music in music theory from the Eastman School of Music. Mainous joined the U.S. Army Cavalry at Fort Riley, Kansas, after being drafted in 1941, completed Army Music School, and directed Army bands before being transferred to the 26th "Yankee" Infantry Division. After the war, Mainous worked as an arranger and conductor for radio ensembles, and taught at the Brooklyn Conservatory before joining the music faculty at what is now the University of North Texas. Mainous remained on the faculty at UNT for 36 years, serving as interim and assistant dean and coordinator of music theory. He authored several books, and served as a co-author with College of Music colleague Robert W. Ottman. Mainous died on January 1, 2007 in Denton, Texas.