Stickney was born on 10 December 1867 in Pepperell, Massachusetts, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1888. He served aboard USS Iowa during the Spanish–American War and aboard USS Princeton during the Philippine–American War, and commanded USS Prairie at the United States occupation of Veracruz. Stickney edited the 3rd revision of Naval Reciprocating Engines and Auxiliary Machinery, published in 1914 by the U.S. Naval Institute for use as a textbook at the Naval Academy.