Meet Jimmy Stewart
American actor, military aviator, and Pennsylvania native James Stewart was a born-and-raised Presbyterian
![In a movie still from "It's a Wonderful Life" a woman and man, who is holding a young girl in his arm, look at a Christmas tree.](/sites/default/files/styles/responsive_16_9_350w/public/2025-12/It%27s_A_Wonderful_Life.jpg?h=0e98a96d&itok=K-oivP67 "In a movie still from "It's a Wonderful Life" a woman and man, who is holding a young girl in his arm, look at a Christmas tree.")
Everyone has a favorite holiday film, whether it’s the box-office-hit “Home Alone” or the classic “Miracle on 34th Street.” But there is one movie that, since its release in 1946, has grown to encapsulate the spirit of the Christmas season and capture the hearts of millions. In the decades since its theatrical release, Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” has grown in popularity immensely, claiming a spot on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 best American movies ever made and becoming almost synonymous with the Christmas season. You’d never have guessed that it was originally a box office flop, or that it was James Stewart’s first film appearance in five years after serving in World War II— but both are true. Another fun fact about Stewart? The Pennsylvania native was a born-and-raised Presbyterian who attended church all his life.
Jimmy Stewart, born James Maitland Stewart on May 20, 1908, is best known for his distinctive drawl, his everyman screen persona, and his performance as George Bailey in the classic holiday film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” An American actor and military aviator, his film career consisted of more than 80 films, spanning from his start in 1935 to his retirement in 1991. The American Film Institute included him in its list of the 50 greatest American screen legends, placing him at the number three spot for male actors, one spot behind Cary Grant and two behind the inimitable Humphrey Bogart.
Not only did Jimmy fly high on stage and in the theaters, but he also lived out his boyhood dream of becoming a Navy pilot, serving during WWII and for decades afterward. In 1985, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for both his contributions to American culture and for his dedicated military service.
It all started in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Quiet, humble, and devoted, Stewart grew up in a rural coal-mining town a little over an hour’s drive east of Pittsburgh. His family first arrived there in 1772, putting down strong Scots-Irish roots. James was the eldest of three children and the only son. His father, Alexander, ran the family hardware store in town. The J.M. Stewart and Company Hardware Store was named after James’s paternal grandfather, whom he was also named after, and was established in 1853. Whereas James was the eldest and only son, J.M. Stewart had been the 10th and youngest of his brood. Alex hoped that James would take over the shop after attending university, just as he had done for J.M. James, who spent much of his childhood piecing together model airplanes in the basement, had other hopes.
At Princeton University, James studied architecture and joined the Triangle Club, a student group that produced original musicals; his thesis on airport terminal design earned him a scholarship offer in graduate studies, but Jim instead chose to take a chance on the stage. He joined University Actors, an intercollegiate summer stock company performing in Cape Cod, and at the end of the season he and a couple of his performer friends packed up and moved to the Big Apple to try their luck on Broadway.
In 1935, he signed a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. They tossed him from role to role, trying to gauge his strengths and in which roles he’d fit best. And then, in the mid-1930s, he was loaned out to Columbia Studios for Frank Capra’s 1938 film “You Can’t Take It With You”. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture that year, propelling Stewart from minor role-player to major star. Next up was his role as a U.S. senator in Capra’s 1939 film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” and then his performance in “The Philadelphia Story” alongside Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant, for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor (though he felt his performance as Mr. Smith the year before deserved it more).
He went on to make quite the name for himself as a leading man of Hollywood, weathering the ebbs and flows of the movie industry for years, starring in both well-received films and box-office-flops until earning his wings with the Army Air Corps in August of 1942. He was the first major American movie star to enlist to fight in WWII, and he served in various positions during his military service: instructing cadets, starring in educational and recruitment documentary films, and acting as commander of a bomber squadron. He flew 20 missions over enemy territory, returning to the U.S. in 1945 as a colonel — making him one of the few Americans to ever rise from private to colonel in only four years.
Upon his return in 1945, James was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross and set off for Indiana to check in on his folks. This should come as no surprise, as Jimmy was a dedicated family man — plus, he had to talk to his father about a certain psalm.
You see, Alex Stewart had been there to see off his son in November 1943, when he slipped a note into Jim’s pocket that he’d later discover during his flight to London. It read: "My dear Jim boy. Soon after you read this letter, you will be on your way to the worst danger … Jim, I’m banking on the enclosed copy of the 91st Psalm … I am staking my faith in these words. I feel sure that God will lead you through this mad experience…. I can say no more. I only continue to pray …”
In Gary Fishgall’s biography of him, “Pieces of Time: The Life of James Stewart," we learn how much this gesture meant to Jimmy: “Religion meant a lot to me for the rest of the war.”
The Stewart family had always been a deeply religious one. From Fishgall’s book we learn that Jimmy’s grandfather J.M. so strongly opposed the purchasing of an organ for use during services at his home sanctuary that he broke from his church and created a new congregation. Alex, Jimmy’s father, continued to attend First United Presbyterian Church, even after his father begat a rival church — he and his wife sang in the choir there, too. The entire family was musical, in that each could play an instrument (Jim played the accordion) and would sing together after meals. Alex Stewart was a conversative Presbyterian and patriotic man, having served in the Spanish-American War and World War I. His son grew up sharing many of the same values.
After returning from overseas, his father’s psalm in hand, James was feeling a bit lost. He was considering moving back to Indiana and working at the family store when he was approached by his old friend Capra, with whom he had made stellar films before the war. Together, they created the magic of Bedford Falls, George Bailey and his family, and the beautiful tale of community and acceptance that is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Jimmy often credited Capra with giving him a new beginning, allowing him to start again after so much time away.
That's not all! Want to know more about Jimmy Stewart's life and legacy? Head over to pcusa.org on Friday to read the second half of the story.
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