gainq_33108.htm -- Converted by SEC Publisher, created by BCL Technologies Inc., for SEC Filing

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM N-Q

QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS OF
REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY

Investment Company Act file number: 811-00041

GENERAL AMERICAN INVESTORS COMPANY, INC
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

100 Park Avenue, 35th floor, New York, NY 10017
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip code)

Eugene S. Stark
General American Investors Company, Inc.
100 Park Avenue, 35th Floor
New York, NY 10017
(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 212-916-8400

Date of fiscal year end: December 31

Date of reporting period: March 31, 2008


ITEM 1. SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS.


             Value 
Shares       COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCKS        (note 1a) 
AEROSPACE/DEFENSE (4.9%)         
600,700    Textron Inc.        $33,290,794 
325,000    United Technologies Corporation        22,366,500 
        (COST $52,755,356)    55,657,294 
BUILDING AND REAL ESTATE (5.1%)         
2,225,862    CEMEX, S.A. de C.V. ADR    (COST $29,518,057)    58,139,515 
COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SERVICES (6.1%)         
900,000    Cisco Systems, Inc. (a)        21,681,000 
324,100    Lamar Advertising Company Class A (a)        11,644,913 
800,000    QUALCOMM Incorporated        32,800,000 
480,000    Sprint Nextel Corporation (a)        3,211,200 
        (COST $63,613,670)    69,337,113 
COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND SYSTEMS (10.0%)         
700,000    Activision, Inc. (a)        19,117,000 
1,500,000    Dell Inc. (a)        29,880,000 
570,000    Microsoft Corporation        16,176,600 
245,000    NetEase.com, Inc. (a)        4,706,450 
70,000    Nintendo Co., Ltd.        36,055,600 
365,000    THQ Inc. (a)        7,957,000 
        (COST $97,755,877)    113,892,650 
CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (9.5%)         
350,000    Diageo plc ADR        28,462,000 
385,000    Heineken N. V.        22,391,600 
550,000    Hewitt Associates, Inc. Class A (a)        21,873,500 
42,500    Nestle S.A.        21,033,675 
200,000    PepsiCo, Inc.        14,440,000 
        (COST $76,356,145)    108,200,775 
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL (INCLUDING SERVICES) (4.3%)         
881,500    Republic Services, Inc.        25,775,060 
680,000    Waste Management, Inc.        22,820,800 
        (COST $39,285,764)    48,595,860 
FINANCE AND INSURANCE (23.2%)         
      BANKING (3.6%)         
300,000    M&T Bank Corporation        24,144,000 
615,000    Wachovia Corporation        16,605,000 
        (COST $5,352,608)    40,749,000 
     INSURANCE (16.7%)         
330,000    The Allstate Corporation        15,859,800 
450,000    American International Group, Inc.        19,462,500 
325,000    Arch Capital Group Ltd. (a)        22,317,750 
205,000    AXIS Capital Holdings Limited        6,965,900 
200    Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A (a)        26,680,000 
315,000    Everest Re Group, Ltd.        28,201,950 
1,375,000    Fidelity National Financial, Inc.        25,203,750 
265,000    MetLife, Inc.        15,968,900 
275,000    PartnerRe Ltd.        20,982,500 
130,000    Transatlantic Holdings, Inc.        8,625,500 
        (COST $97,438,870)    190,268,550 
      OTHER (2.9%)        
10,000    Epoch Holding Corporation Series A Convertible Preferred 4.6% (d)       20,014,060 
1,150,000    Nelnet, Inc.        13,512,500 
        (COST $33,920,436)    33,526,560 
        (COST $136,711,914)    264,544,110 



                   Value 
Shares       COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCKS (continued)             (note 1a) 
HEALTH CARE / PHARMACEUTICALS (3.3%)         
80,000    Alkermes, Inc. (a)        $950,400 
90,000    Biogen Idec Inc. (a)        5,552,100 
529,900    Cytokinetics, Incorporated (a)        1,759,268 
200,000    Genentech, Inc. (a)        16,236,000 
190,000    Novo Nordisk B        13,016,900 
        (COST $15,790,018)    37,514,668 
MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT (2.3%)         
1,000,000    ABB Ltd. ADR    (COST $10,779,026)    26,920,000 
METAL (1.6%)             
321,000    Carpenter Technology Corporation    (COST $19,986,798)    17,966,370 
MISCELLANEOUS (5.2%)         
    Other (b)    (COST $67,296,904)    59,047,910 
OIL AND NATURAL GAS (INCLUDING SERVICES) (18.6%)         
600,000    Apache Corporation        72,492,000 
800,000    Halliburton Company        31,464,000 
700,000    Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.        18,326,000 
1,235,000    Weatherford International Ltd. (a)        89,500,450 
        (COST $89,768,143)    211,782,450 
RETAIL TRADE (14.5%)         
575,000    Costco Wholesale Corporation        37,357,750 
1,100,000    The Home Depot, Inc. (c)        30,767,000 
333,100    Target Corporation        16,881,508 
1,675,000    The TJX Companies, Inc.        55,392,250 
470,000    Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.        24,759,600 
        (COST $54,473,830)    165,158,108 
TECHNOLOGY (2.6%)         
1,000,000    BearingPoint, Inc. (a)        1,680,000 
1,900,000    Xerox Corporation        28,443,000 
        (COST $33,306,174)    30,123,000 
TRANSPORTATION (0.9%)         
236,100    Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.    (COST $11,005,032)    10,171,188 
TOTAL COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCKS (112.1%)    (COST $798,402,708)    1,277,051,011 
Principal Amount    CORPORATE NOTE         
CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (1.2%)         
$13,750,000    General Motors Nova Scotia Finance Company         
     6.85% Guaranteed Notes due 10/15/08    (COST $13,508,602)    13,509,375 
Shares    SHORT-TERM SECURITY AND OTHER ASSETS         
43,032,346    SSgA Prime Money Market Fund (3.7%)    (COST $43,032,346)    43,032,346 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS (e) (117.0%)    (COST $854,943,656)    1,333,592,732 
       Cash, receivables and other assets less liabilities (0.5%)        6,046,947 
PREFERRED STOCK (-17.5%)        (200,000,000) 
NET ASSETS APPLICABLE TO COMMON STOCK (100%)        $1,139,639,679 

(a)      Non-income producing security.
(b)      Securities which have been held for less than one year, not previously disclosed and not restricted.
(c)      1,000,000 shares held by custodian in a segregated custodian account as collateral for short positions and options, if any.
(d)      Restricted security of an affiliate acquired 11/7/06.
(e)      At March 31, 2008: (1) the cost of investments for Federal income tax purposes was the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes,
  (2)      aggregate gross unrealized appreciation was $534,250,373, (3) aggregate gross unrealized depreciation was $55,601,297, and
  (4)      net unrealized appreciation was $478,649,076.
     

(see notes to financial statements)



Contracts             Value 
     (100 shares each)    COMMON STOCK/EXPIRATION DATE/EXERCISE PRICE    (note 1a) 
CALL OPTIONS             
     OIL AND NATURAL GAS (INCLUDING SERVICES)         
1,000    Apache Corporation/April 08/$120.00        $510,000 
1,000    Weatherford International Ltd./April 08/$70.00        457,000 
900    Weatherford International Ltd./May 08/$70.00        594,000 
        (PREMIUMS RECEIVED $1,379,249)    1,561,000 
PUT OPTIONS             
     REAL ESTATE             
750    CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. Class A/May 08/$25.00        300,000 
750    CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. Class A/May 08/$22.50        210,000 
        (PREMIUMS RECEIVED $374,606)    510,000 
                         TOTAL OPTIONS    (PREMIUMS RECEIVED $1,753,855)    $2,071,000 
(See notes to financial statements)         



General American Investors Company, Inc. (the "Company"), established in 1927, is registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 as a closed-end, diversified management investment company. It is
internally managed by its officers under the direction of the Board of Directors.

1. SECURITY VALUATION

Securities traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last reported sales price on the last
business day of the period. Securities reported on the NASDAQ national market are valued at the official
closing price on that day. Listed and NASDAQ securities for which no sales are reported on that day
and other securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the last bid price (asked price
for options written) on the valuation date. Securities traded primarily in foreign markets are generally
valued at the preceding closing price of such securities on their respective exchanges or markets. If,
after the close of the foreign market, conditions change significantly, the price of certain foreign
securities may be adjusted to reflect fair value as of the time of the valuation of the portfolio. Investments
in money market funds are valued at their net asset value. The restricted security is valued at par value
(cost), divided by the conversion price of $6.00 multiplied by the last reported sales price of the publicly
traded common stock of the corporation.

2. OPTIONS

The Company may purchase and write (sell) put and call options. The risk associated with purchasing
an option is that the Company pays a premium whether or not the option is exercised. Additionally, the
Company bears the risk of loss of the premium and a change in market value should the counterparty not
perform under the contract. Put and call options purchased are accounted for in the same manner as portfolio
securities. Premiums received from writing options that expire unexercised are treated by the Company on
the expiration date as realized gains from investments. The difference between the premium received and
the amount paid on effecting a closing purchase transaction, including brokerage commissions, is also
treated as a realized gain, or, if the premium is less than the amount paid for the closing purchase
transaction, as a realized loss. If a call option is exercised, the premium is added to the proceeds from the
sale of the underlying security in determining whether the Company has realized a gain or loss. If a put
option is exercised, the premium reduces the cost basis for the securities purchased by the Company.
The Company as writer of an option bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the
security underlying the written option.

ITEM 2. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

Conclusions of principal officers concerning controls and procedures

(a) As of March 31, 2008, an evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation
of the officers of General American Investors Company, Inc. (the "Registrant"), including the principal
executive officer ("PEO") and principal financial officer ("PFO"), of the effectiveness of the
Registrant's disclosure controls and procedures. Based on that evaluation, the Registrant's officers,
including the PEO and PFO, concluded that, as of March 31, 2008, the Registrant's disclosure controls and
procedures were reasonably designed so as to ensure: (1) that information required to be disclosed by the
Registrant on Form N-Q is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified


by the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission; and (2) that material information
relating to the Registrant is made known to the PEO and PFO as appropriate to allow
timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

(b) There have been no significant changes in the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting (as
defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30a -3(d)) that
occurred during the Registrant's last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 3. EXHIBITS.

The certifications of the principal executive officer and principal financial officer pursuant to Rule
30a-2(a)under the Investment Company Act of 1940 are attached hereto as Exhibit 99 CERT.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of
1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized.

General American Investors Company, Inc.

By: /s/ Eugene S. Stark
Eugene S. Stark
Vice-President, Administration

Date: April 28, 2008

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of
1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

By: /s/ Spencer Davidson
Spencer Davidson
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)

Date: April 28, 2008

By: /s/ Eugene S. Stark
Eugene S. Stark
Vice-President, Administration
(Principal Financial Officer)

Date: April 28, 2008