Ambassador Paul Ruegger, who died in Florence on 9 August 1988 at the age of 91, was President of the International Committee of the Red Cross from 1948 to 1955 and continued to be an active member of the Committee from 1955 to 1973. Following his retirement to Florence in 1973 he still took a close interest in day-to-day international events, in particular those concerning the ICRC, of which he remained an honorary member.