Dr. James Dobson, the psychologist, evangelical leader, and former adviser to President Donald Trump whose advocacy for family values influenced American culture and politics for decades, died Thursday at the age of 89.
Born in 1936 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Dobson rose to prominence as the founder of Focus on the Family in the mid-1970s, turning the organization into a leading voice on marriage, parenting, and faith-based living. By the 1980s and 1990s, his daily radio broadcasts reached more than 4,000 stations across North America, translated into 27 languages and distributed in over 160 countries. The program became one of the most widely listened-to Christian radio shows worldwide.
Dobson authored more than 70 books, including The New Dare to Discipline and When God Doesnât Make Sense, offering guidance on child-rearing, marriage, and spiritual life. His work often warned against cultural trends he believed undermined traditional family structures, including pornography, gambling, and declining church attendance. He also promoted abstinence education, efforts to reduce teen pregnancy, and pro-life advocacy.
Dobsonâs influence extended into politics. He advised five U.S. presidents, including George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump, serving on Trumpâs Evangelical Executive Advisory Board and connecting conservative Christian communities with the White House.
After retiring from Focus on the Family in 2010, he founded the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute to continue promoting gospel-centered values through media and public policy.
Dobson is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley, two children, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. The institute called his passing âthe close of a remarkable chapter in American Christian life,â noting his influence âwill continue to ripple through churches, families, and communities for decades to come.â
