On August 21, 2025, Dr. James Dobson was welcomed into his true home in Heaven and is now fully renewed in the presence of God. He was 89 years old.

James Clayton Dobson, Jr. was born on April 21, 1936, in Shreveport, Louisiana, to James and Myrtle (Dillingham) Dobson. The Dobson family lived in several cities while their son, Jimmy, was a child. James Dobson, Sr., was a traveling evangelist who shared the gospel of Jesus Christ, and his dad’s passion for the Bible’s message of salvation influenced Dr. Dobson for his entire life.

Dr. Dobson was lovingly referred to as Jimmy, Jim, Dad, Jimpa, Dr., and Doc. Jim Dobson met Shirley Dobson during his junior year of college, and the couple married a few years later in 1960. From their days as newlyweds, all the way through their many years of ministry together, the Dobsons’ love for each other has never faltered. Although they’ve experienced the same struggles and challenges that all married couples face, the Dobsons’ Christ-centered commitment has remained strong and steady for more than half a century. To their union, their children, Danae Ann and James Ryan, came and were dearly loved and cherished.

Dobson was founder and president of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, a non-profit organization, which produces his national radio program called “Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson.” He was also the founder and chairman emeritus of Focus on the Family, which produced his internationally syndicated radio programs for 33 years prior to his leaving in February 2010 to start a new organization. Those programs were heard on over 4,000 radio facilities in North America and in 27 languages in more than 160 countries. Prior to 2010, his commentaries were heard by more than 220 million people by way of radio every day, including a translation of a program carried on state-owned radio stations in the Republic of China. Dr. Dobson’s Focus on the Family broadcast was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2008.

Dr. Dobson was licensed as a psychologist in the State of California and a licensed marriage, family, and child counselor in both California and Colorado. In 1988, he received the Humanitarian Award from the California State Psychological Association.

For 14 years, Dobson was an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine and served for 17 years on the Attending Staff of Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles in the Division of Child Development and Medical Genetics. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California (1967) in the field of child development. In addition, he held 18 honorary doctoral degrees.

Dr. Dobson has been honored over the years with many, many awards and honorary doctorates. Most recently, he received Liberty University’s “Servant of God Award, the “Daniel Award” for courageous public faith from Arizona Christian University, Faith and Freedom Coalition’s “Winston Churchill Award,” and the “William L. Armstrong Award” for national conservative leadership at the Western Conservative Summit.

He has written over 70 books dedicated to the preservation of the family, including The New Dare to Discipline; The New Strong-Willed Child; Bringing up Boys; Bringing Up Girls; Love Must Be Tough; Life on the Edge; Night Light for Parents; When God Doesn’t Make Sense; Marriage Under Fire; and Your Legacy: The Greatest Gift. The biblical wisdom and practical living content of Dr. Dobson’s books and radio programs have impacted families around the globe.

Dr. Dobson has been heavily involved in governmental activities related to the family. He served on the task force, which summarized the White House Conference on Families and received a special commendation from President Jimmy Carter in 1980. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the National Advisory Commission to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1982-84. From 1984-87, he was regularly invited to the White House to consult with President Reagan and his staff on family matters. He served as co-chairman of the Citizens’ Advisory Panel for Tax Reform, in consultation with President Reagan, and served as member and later chairman of the United States Army’s Family Initiative, 1986-88.

He was appointed to Attorney General Edwin Meese’s Commission on Pornography, 1985-86. Dr. Dobson was also appointed in the spring of 1987 to the Attorney General’s Advisory Board on Missing and Exploited Children, and to Secretary Otis Bowen’s Panel on Teen Pregnancy Prevention, within the Department of Health and Human Services. In October 1987, he received the Marian Pfister Anschutz Award in recognition of his contribution to the American family. A videotaped message of congratulations was sent by President Reagan. He also consulted with President George H. W. Bush on family-related matters, and later with George W. Bush. In December 1994, Dr. Dobson was appointed by Senator Robert Dole to the Commission on Child and Family Welfare, and in October 1996 was appointed by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott to the National Gambling Impact Study Commission. Dr. Dobson was a part of President Donald Trump’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board.

Dr. James C. Dobson is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley, his daughter, Danae, and his son, Ryan, and wife, Laura, and their children.

The following quote expresses Dr. Dobson’s hope for the future: The greatest endowment for your children and grandchildren can’t be deposited in a bank. It can’t be sold or traded or borrowed. It is an unshakable heritage of faith. It is the only gift that will stand the test of time. Everything else will fade away. Only by introducing your sons and daughters to Jesus Christ will you help them secure eternal life. How is that accomplished? By starting early and being intentional about the spiritual training of your children. It won’t happen if left to chance. As we have seen, you also need to pray “without ceasing” for those you love (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV).