Focus On The Family Founder James Dobson Dead At 89
James Dobson, a politically influential conservative and staunch anti-abortion activist who founded the Christian ministry Focus on the Family, died on Thursday at the age of 89.
“Dr. Dobson’s impact endures through the many lives he touched, the families he strengthened, and the unshakable faith he proclaimed,” Dobson’s family said in a statement announcing his death.
Dobson started Focus on the Family in 1977, which had more than 1,000 employees at its peak in the mid-90s, giving him the chance to influence legislation and White House policy for several decades. This was especially true during the 1980s with the rise of the Religious Right.
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A polarizing figure in the culture wars, Dobson turned Focus on the Family into a multimedia juggernaut, an empire that included 10 radio programs, 11 magazines, basketball camps and a program suggesting sermon topics and bulletin fillers to thousands of churches each week.
Dobson advocated for "family values” — warning against what he feared were the dangers of feminism and the LGBTQ rights movement on American society — in what he called the “Civil War of Values.”
Along with outspoken evangelical leaders Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, Dobson worked tirelessly to bring religious conservatives into the political mainstream. In 1989, Falwell called Dobson a rising star.
Decades later, Dobson’s influence remained a constant, serving on President Donald Trump ’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board.
Dobson credited Trump with the Supreme Court rolling back Roe v. Wade, a landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that ruled women had a constitutional right to abortion.
“Whether you like Donald Trump or not, whether you supported or voted for him or not, if you are supportive of this Dobbs decision that struck down Roe v. Wade, you have to mention in the same breath the man who made it possible,” he said during a 2022 broadcast.
Dobson stepped down as president and CEO of Focus on the Family in 2003. He resigned from the position of chairman in February 2009.
James Dobson (right) interviewed President Ronald Reagan at the White House in 1985. (White House photo)
In 2010, Dobson founded the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute in an effort to continue influencing national politics without involving Focus on the Family. He also continued being the voice of “Family Talk,” a nationally-syndicated radio show carried by 1,500 stations with more than half a million listeners each week. The program was also available globally in 160 countries.
In 1985, Dobson interviewed then-President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office, thanking him for his fcous on issues important to families.
Four years later, Dobson interviewed serial killer Ted Bundy on-camera the day before Bundy's execution on Jan. 24. The interview turned controversial after Bundy, who had raped and murdered 30 women, blamed violent pornography for his actions. Dobson later said Bundy deserved forgiveness.
“Few people have had the positive, Christ-honoring impact on the family as Dr. Jim Dobson; his legacy will be lasting," said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. “Dr. Dobson will be missed, but like other influential Christian leaders of his era, he has raised many more in his wake.”
Current Focus on the Family President Jim Daly called Dobson “a loving husband, father and grandfather and a friend to millions of listeners and readers around the world. Dr. Dobson’s presence will be sorely missed, but we rejoice in the knowledge that he is now joyfully in the presence of the God he served.”
Gary Bauer, who serves as the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy, called Dobson “a pioneer” and a “man of deep conviction whose voice shaped the way generations view faith, family and culture.”
“His bold leadership, integrity and compassion helped equip countless families to thrive in a world of shifting values,” he added. “He was a mentor, a counselor, and a steady voice of truth in turbulent times.”
Dobson, who was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and had started out as a child psychologist, is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley, as well as their two children, Danae and Ryan, daughter-in-law Laura and two grandchildren.
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor at Religion Unplugged.