Born and raised in Acton, Massachusetts,[1] Stinson served in the United States Armed Forces during the Korean War.
He and school superintendent Rhoden B. Eddy addressed the loss of classrooms by having seventh and eighth grade attend class in the Veterans' Memorial Elementary School and the American Legion Hall and having ninth graders attend class in the afternoon.
This dispute came to a head when the cost of constructing the new junior high school unexpectedly increased.
His dismissal came one day after a number of supporters held a public reception honoring him for being the town's longest serving manager.
[11] The firing did not become official as the Board of Selectmen did not vote on a final resolution of removal and Stinson was allowed to return to work.
[13] During his tenure in Ipswich, he investigated the feasibility of constructing a nuclear power plant in the town.
During his tenure, Stinson successfully lobbied Governor Meldrim Thomson, Jr. and the Executive Council of New Hampshire for funding for subsidized housing in the Hanover area.