Dr. James C. Dobson, the child psychologist who mobilized millions of evangelicals through the ministry he founded, Focus on the Family, has died at 89. His death was announced by the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute on Thursday; the group said he died in Colorado Springs after a brief illness but did not specify a cause. Dobson emerged as a national figure after publishing the 1970 bestseller “Dare to Discipline,” and in 1977 created Focus on the Family, which grew into one of the world’s largest evangelical media operations. At its height, the organisation employed more than 1,000 people and its daily radio programme was carried on over 4,000 stations, reaching listeners in 160 countries and 27 languages. A prolific author of more than 70 books, Dobson leveraged his platform to champion conservative causes, campaigning vigorously against abortion, pornography and LGBTQ+ rights. He founded the Family Research Council in 1981 and served as an informal adviser to five U.S. presidents—Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Donald Trump—cementing his status as a leading voice of the religious right. Born on 21 April 1936 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Dobson earned a PhD in child development from the University of Southern California in 1967. He left Focus on the Family in 2010 to launch the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, where he continued a syndicated broadcast under the title “Family Talk.” He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley; their children, Danae and Ryan; and two grandchildren.