James Dobson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids James Dobson |
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|---|---|
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| Religion | Evangelical Christian |
| Founder of |
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| Education | Point Loma Nazarene University (BA) University of Southern California (MA, PhD) |
| Personal | |
| Born | James Clayton Dobson Jr. April 21, 1936 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | August 21, 2025 (aged 89) Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Shirley Deere
(m. 1960) |
| Children | 2 |
| Religious career | |
| Works | Marriage Under Fire |
James Clayton Dobson Jr. (April 21, 1936 – August 21, 2025) was an American author and psychologist. He was also the founder of Focus on the Family, an organization he led from 1977 to 2010. Many people considered him a very influential voice for traditional family ideas in the United States.
Even though he was not a minister, he was called a leading evangelical Christian figure. He created a daily radio program called Focus on the Family. This program was broadcast in many languages and reached millions of people around the world. In 2010, he started another radio show, Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson.
Dr. Dobson believed strongly in "family values". He thought these values, like traditional roles for men and women, were important for society. He aimed to support marriage between a man and a woman. He also founded several organizations, including the Family Research Council and Family Policy Alliance. These groups worked to share his ideas about family and society.
Contents
Who Was James Dobson?
Early Life and Schooling
James Clayton Dobson Jr. was born on April 21, 1936, in Shreveport, Louisiana. His parents were Myrtle Georgia and James C. Dobson Sr. Religion was a very important part of his life from a young age. He once shared that he learned to pray even before he could talk.
His family had a long history of being ministers in the Church of the Nazarene. His parents traveled a lot for their work, so young James often stayed with other family members. He focused on his studies as a child.
Later, James Dobson studied psychology. He felt called to become a Christian counselor or psychologist. He went to Pasadena College, which is now Point Loma Nazarene University. There, he met his wife, Shirley, and was the captain of the tennis team. After graduating in 1958, he worked at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In 1967, he earned his doctorate degree in psychology from the University of Southern California.
Starting His Career
In 1967, Dr. Dobson became a professor at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. He worked there for 14 years, helping children and families. During this time, he saw many young people facing challenges. He felt that society was changing quickly and that traditional values were being lost.
These experiences led him to write his first book, Dare to Discipline, in 1970. In this book, he encouraged parents to be firm and clear with their children. He believed that children needed to learn to respect authority. He thought this respect was important for a peaceful society.
Dr. Dobson also worked at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles for 17 years. He later took a break from his work at the university and hospital in 1976. He then started sharing his ideas more widely through radio programs and public talks. He even made videos of his lectures, like one called Where's Dad?, which became very popular.
Focus on the Family
In 1977, Dr. Dobson founded Focus on the Family. This organization grew very quickly. By the mid-1990s, it had many radio programs, magazines, and videos. It even offered basketball camps.
In 1979, there was a White House conference about families. Dr. Dobson believed that only traditional families, with a father as the main provider and a mother as the caregiver, should be supported. He encouraged his listeners to write letters to the White House. This showed him how much influence he had with his followers.
Starting in 1980, Dr. Dobson began to build groups of people who shared his political views. He founded organizations like the Family Research Council in 1981. These groups worked to influence laws and policies. In 1991, Focus on the Family moved to Colorado Springs. Some people started calling the city "the Vatican of the Religious Right" because of Dr. Dobson's influence.
Dr. Dobson left his role as president and CEO of Focus on the Family in 2003. He also stepped down as chairman of the board in 2009. He wanted to pass on leadership to a new generation. He also felt his views on certain issues were different from the new leader, Jim Daly.
Later Work and Radio Shows
In 2004, Dr. Dobson founded Family Policy Alliance. This organization worked to influence government policies. It aimed to support traditional ideas about family and gender roles in laws.
He also started the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute in 2010. This non-profit organization produced his radio program, Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk. He continued to host his radio show even after stepping down from leadership in 2022. Dr. Dobson often appeared as a guest on the Fox News Channel.
His Beliefs and Ideas
Dr. Dobson's work focused on his beliefs about family, education, and society. He shared these ideas through his books, radio shows, and organizations.
Family and Marriage
Dr. Dobson strongly supported marriage between a man and a woman. He believed that a family should have a mother who focuses on the home and a father who provides for the family. He thought that men and women had different, but equally important, roles in a family.
He wrote that marriage was a very important part of every civilization. He believed that strong families were the foundation of a strong society.
Education
Focus on the Family supported giving money to parents to help them send their children to private or religious schools. Dr. Dobson believed that parents were ultimately responsible for their children's education. He encouraged parents to visit schools and join parent-teacher groups. He wanted parents to share their opinions about what was taught in schools.
He also supported student-led prayer in public schools. He believed this did not go against the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Views on Gender Roles
Dr. Dobson believed that God created men and women with different qualities. He thought these differences made them well-suited for traditional roles in society. For example, he believed men and women were meant to be protectors and those who are protected.
He also thought that how parents acted could influence their children's understanding of gender. He encouraged fathers and daughters to spend special time together. He believed this helped girls learn about healthy relationships.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Dobson was invited by presidents and other government leaders to serve on advisory groups. He also spoke at government meetings. He received several awards for his work.
In 1982, he was named "Layman of the Year" by the National Association of Evangelicals. Childhelp USA, an organization that helps prevent child abuse, honored him with "The Children's Friend" award in 1987. The California Psychological Association gave him a Humanitarian Award in 1988. In 2005, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.
His Focus on the Family radio program was added to the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2008.
Political Involvement
Dr. Dobson had a lot of influence in politics, especially within the Republican Party. He often worked behind the scenes to support his causes. He never ran for political office himself.
In 1981, he founded the Family Research Council. This group worked to bring conservative social ideas into politics. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Dr. Dobson to a national committee about juvenile justice. Throughout the 1980s, he helped create state-level organizations called Family Policy Councils. These groups worked to influence state laws.
By the 1990s, Dr. Dobson had many connections with conservative politicians. He worked to pass state laws that supported his views on marriage. His main goal was to protect traditional marriage at the national level.
In 2004, Dr. Dobson led a campaign to prevent Arlen Specter from leading a Senate committee. He believed Specter's views were too different from his own. In 2006, Focus on the Family spent money to support a change to the Colorado state constitution. This change aimed to ban same-sex marriage.
Dr. Dobson founded Focus on the Family Action, which is now called Family Policy Alliance. This group could raise money for political campaigns. In its first six months, it raised millions of dollars to support Republican candidates. All six candidates won their elections.
In 2004, Slate magazine called Dr. Dobson "America's most influential evangelical leader." They suggested he helped George W. Bush win elections in key states. Dr. Dobson sometimes said that the Republican Party should do more to support conservative family issues.
In 2008, Dr. Dobson said he could not vote for Senator John McCain for president. He later supported McCain when Sarah Palin, who shared his views, became McCain's running mate. He also criticized presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008, saying Obama's views were too liberal.
Dr. Dobson supported intelligent design, a belief that life is too complex to have evolved naturally. He often spoke at conferences about this topic.
In 2016, Dr. Dobson supported Ted Cruz in the Republican primaries. He later endorsed Donald Trump for president. He was one of Trump's evangelical faith advisors. In 2020, he continued to support Donald Trump's reelection.
In 2022, Dr. Dobson praised the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. This decision changed previous rulings on a sensitive topic.
Personal Life
James Dobson married Shirley Deere on August 26, 1960. They had two children together. In 2009, his son, Ryan Dobson, took over some of Focus on the Family's magazines for young people.
Dr. Dobson passed away at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on August 21, 2025. He was 89 years old.
Publications
Dr. Dobson wrote or co-wrote 36 books. Some of his notable works include:
Books as sole author
- Dare to Discipline (1970)
- The Strong-Willed Child (1978)
- Straight Talk to Men and Their Wives (1984)
- Parenting Isn't for Cowards (1987)
- Love for a Lifetime (1993)
- The Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide (2000)
- Bringing Up Boys (2001)
- Marriage Under Fire (2004)
- Bringing Up Girls (2007)
- Your Legacy: The Greatest Gift (2013)
Books with others
- The New Dare to Discipline (1992)
- Night Light: A Devotional for Couples (2000)
- The New Strong-Willed Child (2004)
