James Dobson: Focus on the Family Founder and Evangelical Leader Dies at

James Dobson was an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist and the founder of Focus on the Family. Born James Clayton Dobson Jr. on April 21, 1936, in Shreveport, Louisiana, he became one of the most influential evangelical voices in the United States through his books and daily radio program.

Dobson published the best-selling parenting book Dare to Discipline in 1970. In 1977 he founded Focus on the Family, which he led until 2010, and in 1981 he co-founded the Family Research Council. In 2008 the Focus on the Family radio program was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. The New York Times once called him the nation's most influential evangelical leader.

Dobson married Shirley Deere in 1960, and they had two children. He died at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on August 21, 2025, at age 89. Remembered by supporters as a champion of the family and by critics as a polarizing figure, he shaped American religious and cultural life for decades.

Achievements: Published Dare to Discipline (1970), founded Focus on the Family (1977), co-founded the Family Research Council (1981), Focus on the Family radio program inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame (2008).

Birth: April 21, 1936 - Shreveport, Louisiana.

Profession: Author, psychologist and ministry founder.

Interesting Facts: Dobson was never an ordained minister. Colorado Springs came to be called "the Vatican of the Religious Right" after Focus on the Family moved there in 1991.