Senate Committees:

65th General Assembly – Education, University, School of Mines, State Colleges, and Libraries (chairman); Bills Agreed To and Finally Passed (chairman); Roads and Highways; Appropriations; State Departments, Boards, Commissions and Agencies, and Public Buildings; Conservation, Parks, and Forestry; Fees, Salaries, and Local Government; and Insurance.

66th General Assembly – Education, University, School of Mines, State Colleges, and Libraries (chairman); Appropriations; Judiciary; Roads and Highways; Rules and Joint Rules; Banks, Banking, Savings and Loan, and Financial Institutions; Fees, Salaries and Local Government; Criminal Law Revision;  and Conservation, Parks and Forestry.

Durward W. Gilmore served the people of the 27th District (Cape Girardeau, Mississippi and Scott counties). Born in East Prairie, he received his education from East Prairie public schools; the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland; the University of Missouri; and Washburn College in Topeka, Kansas, earning a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1938. He was an attorney; served in the U.S. Navy from 1941-1945 during World War II; and a commanding officer of the U.S. Naval Reserve Division in Cape Girardeau. Senator Gilmore served as prosecuting attorney of Scott County from 1947-1948. He was elected to the Senate in 1948, and resigned in 1951 when he was appointed to circuit court. (Democrat)

Official Manual of the State of Missouri: 1951-1952