It was with great sorrow that the ICRC heard of the death on 31 May 1986 of Mr. Rodolfo Olgiati, honorary member of the ICRC.

Born in Lugano in 1905, Mr. Olgiati was a graduate in mathematics and physics of the Federal Polytechnic School and a former student of Italian language and literature at the University of Perugia. He taught in several boarding-schools in Germany and Great Britain before going to Spain, where he was in charge of the Œuvre suisse de secours aux enfants (aid to children) from 1937 to 1939. He was also the founder of the Cartel suisse de secours aux enfants victimes de la guerre (for aid to child war victims), Director of the Don suisse, later to become known as Swissaid, and President of the Office central suisse d'aide aux réfugiés.