PAGE  1
000 B000000 12/31/2008
000 C000000 0000040417
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 6.1
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 GENERAL AMERICAN INVESTORS COMPANY, INC.
001 B000000 811-41
001 C000000 2129168400
002 A000000 100 PARK AVENUE 35TH FLOOR
002 B000000 NEW YORK
002 C000000 NY
002 D010000 10017
002 D020000 5528
003  000000 N
004  000000 N
005  000000 N
006  000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000  0
020 A000001 J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES, INC.
020 B000001 13-3224016
020 C000001    241
020 A000002 MORGAN STANLEY
020 B000002 13-2655998
020 C000002    157
020 A000003 BERNSTEIN (STANFORD C.) & CO., LLC
020 B000003 13-4132953
020 C000003    125
020 A000004 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
020 B000004 13-5108880
020 C000004     99
020 A000005 FOX-PITT KELTON COCHRAN CARONIA WALLER LLC
020 B000005 06-1058201
020 C000005     81
020 A000006 DOWLING & PARTNERS SECURITIES LLC
020 B000006 06-1400223
020 C000006     76
020 A000007 BLAIR (WILLIAM) & COMPANY, LLC
020 B000007 36-2214610
020 C000007     73
020 A000008 CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.
020 B000008 11-2418191
020 C000008     69
020 A000009 DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.
020 B000009 13-2730828
020 C000009     64
020 A000010 KEEFE, BRUYETTE & WOODS, INC.
      PAGE  2
020 B000010 13-1964618
020 C000010     57
021  000000     1415
022 A000001 STONE & YOUNGBERG LLC
022 B000001 94-1052545
022 C000001      9245
022 D000001      5726
022 A000002 BEAR, STEARNS & CO. INC.
022 B000002 13-3299429
022 C000002     11619
022 D000002         0
022 A000003 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
022 B000003 13-2518466
022 C000003       800
022 D000003         0
022 A000004 KEEFE, BRUYETTE & WOODS, INC.
022 B000004 13-1964618
022 C000004       288
022 D000004         0
022 A000005 BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
022 B000005 56-2058405
022 C000005       252
022 D000005         0
022 A000006 MORGAN STANLEY
022 B000006 13-2655998
022 C000006       120
022 D000006         0
022 A000007 WACHOVIA SECURITIES, LLC
022 B000007 54-0796506
022 C000007        90
022 D000007         0
022 A000008 JMP SECURITIES LLC
022 B000008 74-3023395
022 C000008        47
022 D000008         0
022 A000009 STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED
022 B000009 43-0538770
022 C000009        43
022 D000009         0
022 C000010         0
022 D000010         0
023 C000000      22504
023 D000000       5726
062 A000000 N
062 B000000   0.0
062 C000000   0.0
062 D000000   0.0
062 E000000   0.0
062 F000000   0.0
062 G000000   0.0
062 H000000   0.0
      PAGE  3
062 I000000   0.0
062 J000000   0.0
062 K000000   0.0
062 L000000   0.0
062 M000000   0.0
062 N000000   0.0
062 O000000   0.0
062 P000000   0.0
062 Q000000   0.0
062 R000000   0.0
066 A000000 Y
066 B000000 N
066 C000000 N
066 D000000 Y
066 E000000 N
066 F000000 N
066 G000000 N
067  000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069  000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 Y
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 Y
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 Y
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
      PAGE  4
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 Y
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 Y
070 R020000 N
071 A000000    301034
071 B000000    425080
071 C000000   1179827
071 D000000   26
072 A000000 12
072 B000000     3038
072 C000000    19356
072 D000000        0
072 E000000        0
072 F000000        0
072 G000000        0
072 H000000     6325
072 I000000       67
072 J000000       63
072 K000000        6
072 L000000       52
072 M000000      276
072 N000000       41
072 O000000      114
072 P000000        0
072 Q000000        0
072 R000000      131
072 S000000       85
072 T000000        0
072 U000000        0
072 V000000       75
072 W000000     1713
072 X000000     8948
072 Y000000        0
072 Z000000    13446
072AA000000    16415
072BB000000        0
072CC010000        0
072CC020000   523758
072DD010000     6024
072DD020000        0
072EE000000    14620
073 A010000   0.1914
073 A020000   0.0000
073 B000000   0.4639
073 C000000   0.0000
074 A000000        0
074 B000000        0
074 C000000   118897
074 D000000     9975
      PAGE  5
074 E000000      926
074 F000000   744904
074 G000000        0
074 H000000        0
074 I000000        0
074 J000000     2638
074 K000000        0
074 L000000     1462
074 M000000     5145
074 N000000   883947
074 O000000     1348
074 P000000        0
074 Q000000        0
074 R010000        0
074 R020000        0
074 R030000        0
074 R040000     8384
074 S000000   199617
074 T000000   674598
074 U010000    31981
074 U020000        0
074 V010000    21.09
074 V020000     0.00
074 W000000   0.0000
074 X000000     3806
074 Y000000     8228
075 A000000        0
075 B000000  1029853
076  000000    17.40
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
077 Q010000 Y
077 Q020000 N
077 Q030000 N
078  000000 N
080 A000000 VIGILANT INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000     2250
081 A000000 N
081 B000000   0
082 A000000 Y
082 B000000       25
083 A000000 N
083 B000000        0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000        0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000      0
086 A020000      0
086 B010000    102
086 B020000   1987
      PAGE  6
086 C010000      0
086 C020000      0
086 D010000      15
086 D020000      323
086 E010000      0
086 E020000      0
086 F010000      0
086 F020000      0
087 A010000 COMMON STOCK, $1 PAR VALUE
087 A020000 368802104
087 A030000 GAM
087 B010000 5.95% CUM PRFD STOCK, SERIES B, $1 PAR VALUE
087 B020000 368802401
087 B030000 GAMPR B
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 Y
SIGNATURE   EUGENE S. STARK
TITLE       V.P., ADMINISTRATION