Louis Ruchonnet

Antoine Louis John Ruchonnet (; 28 April 1834 – 14 September 1893) was a -century Swiss attorney and politician. In 1864, he founded the Vaud Credit Union . After his election to the Federal Council in 1875, he declined to take his seat; he was elected again in 1881, this time taking office and sitting until his death in 1893.

Public service He was first elected to public service as a deputy to the Grand Council of Vaud in 1863, then twice to the Lausanne Communal Council (1866–1868, 1878–1881). and this time accepted the position and died still in office on 14 September 1893. He served twice as President of the Confederation, first in 1883 and again in 1890. He was a unifying figure, along with his successor as Federal Counsellor for Vaud, Eugène Ruffy, in the Free Democratic Party of Switzerland.

Likenesses and namesakes Avenue Louis-Ruchonnet in Lausanne is named after him and a bronze statue of him stands in the Old Town of Lausanne, erected in 1906. There is also an 1888 portrait of him by Adolfo Müller-Ury (1862–1947) in the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne, gifted by his son Ernest in 1894.