Remembering Dr. James C. Dobson April 21, 1936 – August 21, 2025

James C. Dobson, Ph.D., was founder and chairman emeritus of Focus on the Family. His vision and philosophy shaped the ministry at its inception and supplied the impetus for its outreach for over three decades. Even after his departure in 2010, the ministry’s mission continued to be a reflection of Dr. Dobson’s commitment to strengthening and defending the institution of the family.

The initial inspiration for Focus was conceived in the 1960s, when Dr. Dobson was completing his Ph.D. in child development at the University of Southern California. He joined the faculty of Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles and, in 1970, became associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the USC School of Medicine. Over the next several years, he became increasingly concerned about the breakdown of the traditional family and its negative effects on the culture.

In 1977, Dr. Dobson left Children’s Hospital and the USC School of Medicine to found Focus. The first radio broadcast aired that same year. By the end of the 1970s, the seven-part Focus on the Family film series had become a popular resource for parents.

During the 1980s, the ministry began publishing several magazines and expanded into Canada and the UK. Dr. Dobson completed several books and participated in the White House Conferences on the Family, the National Advisory Commission for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography.

In the 1990s, Dr. Dobson was appointed to the Commission on Child and Family Welfare and the National Gambling Impact Study Commission. Focus on the Family relocated its headquarters from Southern California to Colorado Springs and continued to expand its outreach, including the establishment of associate offices worldwide and the creation of websites and other endeavors in the digital realm.

In May of 2003, Dr. Dobson resigned as President of Focus on the Family but retained his position as Chairman of the Board. Dr. Dobson stepped down from that position in February of 2009, and a year later departed Focus as the final step of the ministry’s leadership transition process.

Dr. Dobson is survived by his wife, Shirley, co-founder and emerita member of Focus on the Family’s board of directors and former chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, and by their daughter, Danae, son and daughter-in-law, Ryan and Laura, and two grandchildren.

Dr. Dobson’s passion for families and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ continues to inform Focus on the Family’s ministry efforts. The current leadership, chosen by Dr. Dobson, is determined to honor his legacy by continuing the work he started in 1977 of ministering to individuals and families in Jesus’ name.
“I have concluded that the accumulation of wealth, even if I could achieve it, is an insufficient reason for living. When I reach the end of my days, a moment or two from now, I must look backward on something more meaningful than the pursuit of houses and land and machines and stocks and bonds. Nor is fame of any lasting benefit. I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless I can recall a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me.”
– Dr. Dobson

Article and photo credit https://founder.focusonthefamily.com/