James Dobson

James Clayton Dobson Jr., born on April 21, 1936, was a prominent American evangelical Christian author and psychologist, best known for founding Focus on the Family (FotF) in 1977, a role he maintained until 2010. His influence in American public life surged during the 1980s, where he was recognized as one of the leading voices advocating for conservative social values. The New York Times referred to him as 'the nation's most influential evangelical leader,' while Slate noted his position as a successor to notable figures like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.

Under his leadership, Focus on the Family produced a daily radio program that reached an audience of over two hundred twenty million people across one hundred sixty-four countries, broadcast in more than a dozen languages and on over seven thousand stations worldwide. In 2010, he expanded his reach by launching the radio broadcast Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson, further solidifying his presence in the media landscape.

Dobson was a staunch advocate for traditional family values, emphasizing the importance of heterosexual marriage and the instruction of children in conventional gender roles, which he believed were biblically mandated. He viewed these principles as essential to the preservation of civilization, often framing his advocacy as a response to perceived threats from feminism and the LGBTQ rights movement. He encouraged his followers to engage actively in what he termed the 'Civil War of Values' in American culture.

His writing career began as an assistant to Paul Popenoe, and he gained notoriety in the 1970s for promoting corporal punishment as a disciplinary method for children. In the 1990s, he became a key figure in the purity culture movement. Throughout his career, Dobson established several organizations aligned with his beliefs, including the Family Research Council in 1981, Family Policy Alliance in 2004, and the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute in 2010, along with a network of state-based lobbying organizations known as Family Policy Councils.