James Dobson, the influential conservative Christian therapist, author and radio personality who founded Focus on the Family, has died at the age of 89.
The Dr James Dobson Family Institute announced Thursday morning that Dobson had passed away following a brief illness. He is survived by Shirley, his wife of 64 years, two children, and two grandchildren.
“Dr Dobson was a pioneer — a man of deep conviction whose voice shaped the way generations view faith, family and culture,” said Gary Bauer, senior vice president of Public Policy at the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, as quoted in the announcement.
“His bold leadership, integrity, and compassion helped equip countless families to thrive in a world of shifting values. He was a mentor, a counselor, and a steady voice of truth in turbulent times.”
Many individuals took to social media to give their condolences, among them conservative bestselling author and radio personality Eric Metaxas, who called Dobson “a hero.”
“It has been one of the great honors of my life to know Dr. James Dobson,” Metaxas tweeted. “He was not afraid to bring his faith into the public sphere for God's purposes. He has finished the race — to God's glory! Hallelujah! May we all follow in his footsteps.”
Craig DeRoche, president & CEO of the Family Policy Alliance, a conservative advocacy group founded by Dobson and originally named Focus on the Family Action, gave his condolences in a statement.
"As a trusted advocate for faith, family, and biblical values, Dr. Dobson’s legacy is unmatched and his life’s work continues to shape our nation," stated DeRoche.
"With unwavering conviction, he championed the sanctity of marriage, the sanctity of life, and the importance of parental rights, principles woven into the DNA of our movement."
Born in 1936 in Shreveport, Louisiana, James Clayton Dobson Jr. earned a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in 1967, specializing in child development.
According to his official biography, Dobson previously served as a pediatrics professor at the University of Southern California School of Medicine and a staff member at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles in the Division of Child Development and Medical Genetics.
Dobson gained notoriety for his books, with his first book, Dare To Discipline, having reportedly sold over 3 million copies. Other notable works included Hide or Seek, What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women, Love Must Be Tough, Parenting Isn't For Cowards, Children At Risk, When God Doesn't Make Sense, Life On The Edge and Home With a Heart.
In 1977, Dobson founded Focus on the Family, a prominent conservative Christian ministry and advocacy group known for its educational resources and Christian children’s entertainment.
Dobson also became a widely listened to figure on radio, with regular broadcasts that were carried by thousands of radio stations across North America and overseas.
During the Reagan administration, Dobson was appointed to the National Advisory Commission to the officer of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, served as co-chair of the Citizens Advisory Panel for Tax Reform, was a member of the United States Army's Family Initiative, and was part of Attorney General Edwin Meese's Commission on Pornography, the Advisory Board on Missing and Exploited Children, and Secretary Otis Bowen's Panel on Teen Pregnancy Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Dobson’s socially conservative views on sexual ethics, as well as his extensive political advocacy in Washington, D.C., would garner much criticism from progressive organizations.
When the far-left activist group Southern Poverty Law Center added Focus on the Family to its list of so-called extremist organizations over its opposition to homosexuality, Dobson was extensively cited.
“Dobson played an integral role in cofounding, funding and platforming what has become the infrastructure of the modern anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion movements,” claimed the SPLC.
"In 1981 the Council for National Policy, a powerful secret club of far-right religious figures, began meeting. Key membership included Dobson, R.J. Rushdoony, Falwell, Tony Perkins, Beverly and Tim LaHaye, and Phyllis Schlafly."
Dobson would lead Focus on the Family until 2010, when he launched the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute and continued to oversee a nationally syndicated radio program called “Family Talk.”
In July of last year, Dobson signed onto a letter to President Joe Biden accusing the commander-in-chief of advancing policies that he believed were "irrevocably damaging the country."
“Mr. President, the moral and constitutional framework that sustains our Republic is at risk of collapsing due to your ill-advised and un-American policies,” stated the letter.
“We urge you and your administration to seriously consider your overwhelmingly low approval ratings and failing policies and take immediate corrective action.”
