 He earned his Master of Business Administration degree, with distinction, in 1956 from the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.In conjunction with his master's studies, he was the recipient of the Mervin E. Gross and the Wall Street Journal Awards presented annually to the top graduate.He is also a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Va.

Stansberry began his military career by enlisting as a Private in the Army in 1945.