SCHENECTADY — Schenectady’s native son Joseph Yates, who served a single two-year term as governor from 1823 to 1824, will finally get his portrait in the Hall of Governors at the State Capitol.

The Schenectady Historical Society will loan the state its portrait of Yates, who also was a longtime mayor of the city.

“One of our volunteers happened to be visiting and he noticed that Gov. Yates wasn’t represented in the Hall of Governors. So he contacted me,” said Kathryn Weller, curator of collections for the Schenectady Historical Society.

The society worked with state officials on an agreement to display the portrait in the hall, located on the second floor of the State Capitol building. It is still working out the details for transferring the painting, which measures 40 inches tall by 311⁄2 inches wide. Weller said it probably will happen later this week or next.

“We’re always happy when we’re able to have one of our artifacts on display and have a large audience view them,” she said.

The society has two other paintings of Yates, who was first elected mayor in 1798 and served 12 one-year terms. It also has a Windsor writing chair that belonged to Yates and a dollhouse he commissioned for his granddaughter.

The Yates family was very prominent in Schenectady. Joseph Yates’ father, Christopher Yates, served as a soldier during the Revolutionary War.

Joseph Yates was born in 1768 and worked as a lawyer and was one of the founders of Union College in 1790. In addition to his mayoral service, he also served in the state Senate from 1806 to 1807 and was appointed one of the judges of the state Supreme Court, serving until 1823, according to the Schenectady Historical Society’s Web site. He died in 1837.

The Yates name can be seen throughout Schenectady, including Yates Village, the Yates Arts in Education Magnet School on Salina Street and Yates Street.

The portrait was done in 1925 by Harold Meade Mott-Smith, who lived in Schenectady and worked at General Electric for many years in its art department.

He was responsible for designing calendar artwork and covers for the Schenectady Works News. He retired from GE in 1938 and died in 1948.

Weller said Mott-Smith is believed to have based his portrait on a work done by John Vanderlyn. She said she knows it is not based on either of the two portraits the society has, which were done by Ezra Ames, who portrayed Yates and his wife, Elizabeth.

Brad Maione, spokesman for the state Office of General Services, confirmed that the agency has made arrangements to obtain the portrait and would have more details next week.