Civic Disarmament Committee for Handgun Control

The Civic Disarmament Committee for Handgun Control was founded in Hyde Park in 1971. Usually known simply as the Civic Disarmament Committee, or CDC, the group sought to reduce handgun violence through promotion of government legislation, public education campaigns, and enforcement of existing handgun laws.

The writer and activist Laura Fermi (wife of physicist Enrico Fermi) founded the organization with the support of the several Illinois state legislators and the assistance of faculty members of the University of Chicago Law School. Other core members of the group included Lillian E. Kaplan, Camilla Fano, Ruth Grodzins and Goldie Sugarman.

The group's activities included lobbying for state and federal regulation of handgun ownership; educational programs for students and the general public; a court-visiting program; and collaborative projects with other local and national groups.