Dr. James Dobson, a child psychologist and minister who became one of the most influential figures in America’s Christian conservative movement, has died at 89.
Dobson founded the influential Focus on the Family evangelical group in the 1970s, advised five presidents and hosted a weekly radio show that was broadcast by 1,500 stations with half a million listeners at its peak.
“Dr. Dobson was a pioneer — a man of deep conviction whose voice shaped the way generations view faith, family and culture,” Gary Bauer of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute said in a statement Thursday. “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.”
Dobson started Focus on the Family in 1977, growing it into a key voice among conservative leaders. He served on the 2016 Trump campaign’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board, despite initially backing Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)’s bid for the GOP nomination.
A 2005 article in The New York Times dubbed Dobson “the nation’s most influential evangelical leader,” as he discussed his willingness to engage in the political realm and beyond the pulpit or airwaves.
He frequently advocated for “traditional family” norms based on the Bible and was a prominent critic of abortion and LGBTQ rights.
Dobson, who was not an ordained minister, formally left Focus on the Family in 2010 and launched the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute with a more political focus. He continued to syndicate regular radio broadcasts across the country.
Just before the 2016 election, Dobson wrote online that he was backing Trump because the next president would have the ability to shape the Supreme Court. Trump went on to seat three conservative nominees on the High Court, which ultimately led to the reversal of the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that had protected access to abortion.
“The next president will nominate perhaps three or more justices whose judicial philosophy will shape our country for generations to come,” Dobson correctly predicted at the time.
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