COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. (AP) — Dr. James Dobson, a well-known child psychologist influential in political circles, passed away on Thursday at the age of 89. He was renowned for starting a radio program guiding Christians on parenting, founding the conservative organization Focus on the Family, and campaigning against abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.
His death was confirmed by the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
In 1977, Dobson established Focus on the Family, which once employed over 1,000 people and provided him with a platform to influence legislation, offer advice on White House panels, and oppose laws banning conversion therapy for “curing” homosexuality.
During the 1980s, Dobson became a pivotal figure in advocating for conservative Christian values in American politics, joining forces with fundamentalist leaders like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. He championed integrating religious conservatives into mainstream politics, earning recognition from Falwell as a rising star in 1989. Years later, Dobson was part of President Donald Trump’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board.
After leaving Focus on the Family in 2010, Dobson founded a new institute named after himself. He continued his work through the nationally syndicated Family Talk radio show, which reaches over half a million listeners weekly via 1,500 radio platforms, as reported by the institute.
Dobson’s family shared that his influence lives on through the countless lives he impacted, the families he uplifted, and the steadfast faith he championed.
Gary Bauer, a senior vice president at Dobson’s institute, described him as a “pioneer” supporting families amidst evolving social values. In 1985, Dobson interviewed President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office, commending him for addressing family-centric issues.
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 sexual urges to a point that he looked for satisfaction by mutilating, killing and raping women.
At the time, Dobson’s Focus on the Family program was broadcast daily on 1,200 radio stations.
Months after the execution, Bundy’s attorney James Coleman downplayed the Dobson exchange in an interview with The Associated Press.
“I think that was a little bit of Ted telling the minister what he wanted to hear and Ted offering an explanation that would exonerate him personally,” Coleman told The Associated Press in 1989. “I had heard that before and I told Ted I never accepted it.”
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.
