2026 Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient

Elyse Deublein Harney ’52

Doctorate of Humane Letters, honoris causa 

We are honored to welcome back to St. Joseph’s University, New York one of our distinguished alumni, Elyse Deublein Harney ’52. As a business-minded visionary, leader and mother of five children, she is the founder of Elyse Harney Real Estate and the co-founder of Harney & Sons Fine Teas, as well as an integral and impactful member of her community. 

Her professional, social and philanthropic endeavors not only exemplify her diligence, dedication and commitment to serving others, but are a value set that aligns with St. Joseph’s University, New York’s five pillars of integrity, intellectual rigor, spiritual depth, social responsibility and service. 

Raised in New Jersey, Elyse rode the bus daily to attend classes at St. Joseph’s University, New York (then known as St. Joseph’s College for Women) in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. Since graduating with a B.A. in English, she has gone on to redefine the term “family business,” proving first-hand why family comes first.  

In 1983, Elyse co-founded Harney & Sons Fine Teas with her husband John. What began as a small business soon blossomed, as Harney & Sons Fine Teas found their way into luxury hotels including the Ritz-Carlton and retail stores such as Williams Sonoma. Today, Harney & Sons is managed by two of her sons with over 300 blends sourced around the globe, an online store and shops in SoHo, Manhattan and Millerton, New York.   

Elyse’s next venture was the founding of Elyse Harney Real Estate in 1987. Inspired by her summers spent in Litchfield Hills, Connecticut and the area’s picturesque charm, she wanted to create a family-owned boutique real estate firm that offered unparalleled client satisfaction. After 40 years, and with her daughter now serving as the firm’s owner and lead broker, Elyse Harney Real Estate has grown into one of the region’s most trusted names in purchasing and selling properties across New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. 

Elyse has served on several committees in her community, including the Salisbury Board of Selectmen, Historic District Commission and the Board of Education. In fact, she is co-founder of the Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service, along with her husband and Rees Harris. The volunteer organization is one of the region’s most vital emergency services — with Elyse Deublein Harney’s daughter now serving on its board of trustees. 

For her commitment, integrity and unwavering dedication — both within and outside the SJNY community — Elyse Deublein Harney was presented with the President’s Award for Distinguished Alumni at the 2023 St. Joseph’s University, New York Esse Non Videri Awards Gala.

Deeply devoted to her family, spirituality and community, Elyse is always the first to lend a hand to a neighbor in need, forge a new connection or donate to a cause. She was the first woman to serve as Eucharistic Minister at her parish, and with her husband, founded its youth ministry program. 

In 2024, she and her family were awarded the Robert and Mary Lou Estabrook Community Leadership Award for their contributions to the local institutions, organizations and residents of Salisbury, Connecticut.   

Elyse is a remarkable, outspoken and awe-inspiring leader, one who approaches life’s challenges with the same grace as she does its blessings. 

As we celebrate the Class of 2026, we are proud to have Elyse Deublein Harney ’52 as our commencement speaker and as a shining example of the excellence fortified at St. Joseph’s University, New York.

“You have to be able to work harder, go the extra mile, take disappointment with grace, and truly you have to want the good for the other — and they have to know that”