1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Ador, Gustave

ADOR, GUSTAVE (1845-), Swiss statesman, a member of a family of Vaud, which in 1814 obtained the burghership of Geneva, and grandson of Jean Pierre Ador, who first obtained this right, was born at Geneva Dec. 23 1845. He studied law at the academy (now the university) of Geneva and in 1868 became an advocate. In 1871 he started his political career as member of the communal council of Cologny, and was twice mayor, in 1878-9 and 1883-5. He was a member of the cantonal Parliament 1874-6, and continuously from 1878 to 1915 save for a short break in 1902. In 1878-9 he represented Geneva in the Swiss Conseil des États. Then he became a member of the executive of the canton of Geneva, being put in charge of the Department of Justice and Police. He resigned after an unfavourable election in 1880, but once more became member of the cantonal executive in 1885, and for 12 years had charge of the cantonal finances. In 1889 he became a member of the Swiss Conseil National, and remained so till 1917, being elected its president in 1901. He was president of the cantonal executive in 1890, 1892, and 1896. In 1894 he became lieutenant-colonel in the Swiss army. In 1914 he founded in Geneva the association for facilitating communications between prisoners-of-war and the central Geneva agency, and succeeded in giving this enterprise great importance and a wide-spread extension. After the enforced resignation of Arthur Hoffmann, Ador, in order to soothe the Entente, became a federal councillor or member of the Federal Executive in June 1917 and was entrusted with the Department of Foreign Affairs. Towards the end of 1918 he was elected by Parliament to be the Swiss President for 1919, but retired from the Federal Executive at the end of his year of office.