Research Help

Contents

Collection Access

LOGO_University of Chicago
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, 1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637

Research services, access and contact information for Special Collections at the University of Chicago.

Civic Disarmament Committee for Handgun Control. Records

Descriptive Summary

Title
Civic Disarmament Committee for Handgun Control. Records
Dates
1968-1978
Language
Documents in English
Size
2.75 linear feet (6 boxes)
Repository
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
University of Chicago Library
1100 East 57th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.
Abstract
The Civic Disarmament Committee for Handgun Control was founded in 1971 by Hyde Park activist and writer Laura Fermi. The group sought was to reduce handgun violence through promotion of government legislation, public education campaigns, and enforcement of existing handgun laws. This collection includes the group's correspondence; administrative records; position statements and publicity material; and research on crime, handgun legislation and public attitudes towards handguns.

Information on Use

Access

Box 6 contains treasurer's reports and tax preparation materials. These materials are restricted for 50 years.

The remainder of the collection is open for research, with no restrictions.

Citation

When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Civic Disarmament Committee for Handgun Control. Records [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

Historical Note

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.

Scope Note

The records of the Civic Disarmament Committee for Handgun Control include the group's correspondence; administrative records; position statements and publicity material; and research on crime, handgun legislation and public attitudes towards handguns. Also included are publicity materials, statements reports, publications, and other documents from related organizations such as the National Council to Control Handguns.

Much of the CDC's correspondence is included in a chronological file spanning the years 1971-1977, including incoming and outgoing letters and memoranda. Additional correspondence is interfiled throughout the collection. Typical correspondents include representatives of city, state and federal government; community groups in Chicago; members of related organizations and news media.

The collection also includes survey data, findings and reports of a questionnaire study that sought to assess the attitudes of Hyde Park-area schoolchildren towards guns and gun violence.

Related Resources

Browse finding aids by topic.

Indexed Terms

INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder 1-7
Title
Correspondence file, 1971-1977
Box 1
Folder 8
Title
Meeting minutes, 1971-1974
Box 2
Folder 1
Title
Meeting minutes, 1974-1978
Box 2
Folder 2
Title
Gun questionnaire project, survey data and selected findings, circa 1972
Box 2
Folder 3
Title
Gun questionnaire project, preliminary reports, 1972
Box 2
Folder 4
Title
Membership lists, correspondence and mailings, 1973-1977
Box 2
Folder 5
Title
Crime statistics, 1933-1973
Box 2
Folder 6
Title
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, reports and correspondence, 1976-1977
Box 2
Folder 7
Title
Coalition of Concerned Women in the War on Crime, certificate honoring Laura Fermi, 1975
Box 2
Folder 8
Title
Committee for Handgun Control, correspondence, statements and press releases, 1974-1977
Box 2
Folder 9-11
Title
National Coalition to Control Handguns, correspondence, statements and publicity material, 1975-1976
Box 3
Folder 1
Title
U.S. Conference of Mayors, mailings and bulletins, 1975-1976
Box 3
Folder 2
Title
Gun control organizations outside of Illinois, correspondence and publicity material, 1974-1976
Box 3
Folder 3-4
Title
Organizations supporting gun control, statements, endorsements, correspondence and publicity material, 1975-1977
Box 3
Folder 5
Title
International organizations, correspondence, statements and publicity material, 1968-1972
Box 3
Folder 6
Title
Legislative material, 1968
Box 3
Folder 7-8
Title
Correspondence, legislative material, publications and publicity material, 1972-1975
Box 4
Folder 1-8
Title
Correspondence, statements, legislative material, publications and publicity material, 1972-1977
Box 5
Folder 1
Title
Correspondence, reports and mailings, 1973-1978
Box 5
Folder 2
Title
Newsletters, 1974-1978
Box 5
Folder 3
Title
Correspondence, statements, legislative material and publicity material, 1975
Box 6
Folder 1
Title
Tax preparation materials, 1973-1975
Box 6
Folder 2
Title
Treasurer's reports, 1975-1976