Today, we share the news of the passing of our beloved founder, Dr. James C. Dobson. He went home to be with the Lord peacefully, following a brief illness. Dr. Dobson’s unwavering faith and tireless devotion to the family shaped generations.
For nearly five decades, his voice championed life, marriage, and the truth of God’s Word. As we grieve, we also give thanks — for his life, his legacy, and the mission that lives on through the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. - Dr. James Dobson Family Institute
Dr. Dobson, born in Shreveport, Louisiana, was 89 years old. He founded Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, and Family Policy Alliance.
Dobson started Focus on the Family in 1977, which had more than 1,000 employees at its peak and gave him a platform to weigh in on legislation, and advise White House panels.
He became a force in the 1980s for encouraging conservative Christian ideals in American politics alongside fundamentalist giants like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. He campaigned for bringing religious conservatives into the political mainstream, and in 1989, Falwell called Dobson a rising star. Decades later, he served on President Donald Trump ’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board.
Dobson left Focus on the Family in 2010 and founded the institute that bears his name. He continued with the Family Talk radio show, which is nationally syndicated and is carried by 1,500 radio outlets with more than half a million listeners weekly, according to the institute.
“Dr. Dobson’s impact endures through the many lives he touched, the families he strengthened, and the unshakable faith he proclaimed,” his family said in a statement announcing his death.
Gary Bauer, a senior vice president at Dobson’s institute, called him a “pioneer” who helped families in a world of shifting values. Dobson interviewed President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office in 1985, thanking him for concentrating on issues important to families.
An anti-pornography crusader, Dobson recorded a video interview with serial killer Ted Bundy the day before his January 24, 1989, execution in Florida. Bundy told Dobson that exposure to pornography helped fuel his urges to a point that he looked for satisfaction by attacking women.
At the time, Dobson’s Focus on the Family program was broadcast daily on 1,200 radio stations.
Born in 1936 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Dobson is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley, as well as their children, Danae and Ryan, daughter-in-law Laura, and two grandchildren, his family's statement said.
Earlier this year, Dr. Dobson shared his life in a video interview with TBN: