Stewart was a lifelong supporter of scouting, having been a Second Class Scout when he was a youth. He was an adult Scout leader, and a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). In the 1970s and 1980s, he made advertisements for the BSA, which led to his being sometimes incorrectly identified as an Eagle Scout. An award for Boy Scouts, "The James M. Stewart Good Citizenship Award" has been presented since 2003. Stewart was also a Life Member of the Sons of the Revolution in California.