Dr. James Dobson, known for his role as a politically influential child psychologist and founder of the conservative ministry Focus on the Family, died on Thursday at the age of 89. His passing has been officially confirmed by the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
Dobson began Focus on the Family back in 1977. The organization, at its zenith, employed more than 1,000 individuals and served as Dobson’s platform to advise on legislation, advocate against laws banning conversion therapy, and influence policy within White House panels. His voice became a stalwart force within conservative Christian circles, alongside influential figures such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, particularly in the 1980s.
Dobson was instrumental in bringing religious conservatives into the political mainstream. Revered by his peers, Jerry Falwell once referred to him as a rising star in 1989. Many years later, Dobson served on President Donald Trump’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board.
Dobson left Focus on the Family in 2010 and established an institute bearing his name. He continued to broadcast his voice and opinions through the Family Talk radio show, a national syndicate carried by 1,500 radio outlets, reaching over half a million listeners weekly, according to the institute.
His family, in announcing his death, stated, “Dr. Dobson’s impact endures through the many lives he touched, the families he strengthened, and the unshakable faith he proclaimed.” Gary Bauer, a senior vice president at Dobson’s Institute, praised him as a “pioneer” who aided families in a world with shifting values.
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Dobson, known for his anti-pornography stance, interviewed serial killer Ted Bundy the day before Bundy’s execution in 1989. Bundy claimed that pornography contributed to his violent impulses. However, James Coleman, Bundy’s attorney, later downplayed the exchange, suggesting that Bundy may have been telling Dobson what he wished to hear.
Dr. James Dobson, born in 1936 in Shreveport, Louisiana, leaves behind his wife of 64 years, Shirley, their children, Danae and Ryan, daughter-in-law Laura, and two grandchildren. Conservatives will never forget his conservative Christian influence in American politics.
