James C. Stinson, Jr., MD (1976)
Background
Dr. James Cotton Stinson, Jr. was born on February 2, 1922 in Sherman, Texas. His father was a graduate of Austin College in Sherman and became a pharmacist. His mother graduated from The University of Texas in Austin. He had one sister. After graduating from Sherman High School, Dr. Stinson joined the US Naval Reserve. He married Katherine “Tink” Wilson, a physician’s daughter, while he was completing his fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. They had five children, James Clyde, Charles Hardwicke, Katherine Lee, Julia Ann, and Robert Arthur.
Dr. Stinson died on January 18, 2007.
Medical Education & Practice
After receiving his BS degree in biology at Texas A&M University in 1943, Dr. Stinson entered medical school at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He was part of the World War II three-year accelerated program. He received his MD degree in 1945 and was board certified in 1953.
After medical school, Dr. Stinson was commissioned as a Lieutenant (j.g.) in the Naval Reserve and was assigned to an internship in the Navy Hospital in Oak Knoll, California. Once his internship was complete, Dr. Stinson was assigned to the USS Chikaskia, an oil tanker that made several excursions in the Pacific. He was then stationed at the Naval Hospital in Houston, Texas until his discharge from the Navy.
After his time in the Navy, Dr. Stinson completed his residency in pathology during his fellowship with the Mayo Clinic. While there, he met Dr. A.C. Broders, Sr. Dr. Broders would influence Dr. Stinson’s decision to eventually move to Temple, Texas where he practiced medicine for the rest of his career. Later, Dr. Stinson would be one of several physicians who helped establish the A.C. Broders Memorial Fund Lectureship.
After completing his fellowship, Dr. Stinson took a position as surgical pathologist at Scott and White Clinic in Temple, Texas. He was chairman of the department of pathology from 1956 until 1982 when he became senior consultant in pathology. In 1963 he served as president of the Scott and White Clinic Staff Organization and chair of the Radiation Committee. Dr. Stinson, along with Dr. T.R. Sunbury established an extensive reference library of electron micrographs that were of sufficient quality to use for teaching. When Scott and White became a branch of Texas A&M Medical School, many of their specimens were given to the Department of Pathology to use for educational purposes.
Dr. Stinson was honored for his work in electron microscopy with the building of the James C. Stinson Electron Microscopy Suite at Scott and White. Additionally, he also received professor emeritus from Texas A&M.
Dr. Stinson belonged to several organizations including the Texas and American Societies of Electron Microscopy, the College of American Pathologists, the American Society of Clinical Pathology, the American Society of Cell Biology, and the Texas Archeological Society.
Texas Society of Pathologists
Dr. Stinson participated in the TSP’s scientific program and held several offices during his time as a member of the TSP. He was secretary-treasurer the year after the TMA took over the administrative services for this role. He served as president in 1976 and received the George T. Caldwell, MD Award in 1982.
Notable Publication(s)
Stinson Jr, J. C., Baggenstoss, A. H., & Morlock, C. G. (1952). Pancreatic lesions associated with cirrhosis of the liver. American journal of clinical pathology, 22(2), 117.
Leibovitz, A., McCombs 3rd, W. M., Johnston, D., McCoy, C. E., & Stinson, J. C. (1973). New human cancer cell culture lines. I. SW-13, small-cell carcinoma of the adrenal cortex. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 51(2), 691-697.
Leibovitz, A., Stinson, J. C., McCombs, W. B., McCoy, C. E., Mazur, K. C., & Mabry, N. D. (1976). Classification of human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines. Cancer research, 36(12), 4562-4569.