Rosemary was elected a Fellow on 8 January 1959 and was amongst the most distinguished archaeologists of our era. As well as making a significant contribution to knowledge of Anglo-Saxon England, she was passionate in her promotion of archaeology in the public realm, giving dedicated service across a wide spectrum. She was the first woman to be appointed to a professorship at Durham University, where she worked from 1955 until her retirement in 1990, being instrumental in founding the Department of Archaeology there in 1956.