PAGE 1
000 B000000 12/31/2011
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
020 B000001 13-2624428
020 C000001 85
020 A000002 MORGAN STANLEY
020 B000002 36-3145972
020 C000002 80
020 A000003 BERNSTEIN (SANFORD C.)& CO., LLC
020 B000003 13-2625874
020 C000003 62
020 A000004 BLAIR (WILLIAM) & COMPANY, LLC
020 B000004 36-2214610
020 C000004 36
020 A000005 BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC
020 B000005 06-1031656
020 C000005 34
020 A000006 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
020 B000006 13-5108880
020 C000006 25
020 A000007 IMPERIAL CAPITAL, LLC
020 B000007 95-4644495
020 C000007 23
020 A000008 CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC
020 B000008 11-2418191
020 C000008 20
020 A000009 LAZARD CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
020 B000009 20-2343668
020 C000009 20
020 A000010 DOWLING & PARTNERS SECURITIES, LLC
PAGE 2
020 B000010 06-1400223
020 C000010 19
021 000000 507
022 A000001 FORETHOUGHT FINANCIAL GROUP, INC
022 B000001 20-0628947
022 C000001 3248
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 ALPHA NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.
022 B000002 42-1638663
022 C000002 0
022 D000002 1400
022 A000003 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000003 13-5108880
022 C000003 1055
022 D000003 0
022 C000004 0
022 D000004 0
022 C000005 0
022 D000005 0
022 C000006 0
022 D000006 0
022 C000007 0
022 D000007 0
022 C000008 0
022 D000008 0
022 C000009 0
022 D000009 0
022 C000010 0
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 4303
023 D000000 1400
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
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
PAGE 3
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
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 Y
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 Y
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 122826
071 B000000 182554
071 C000000 1099443
071 D000000 11
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 16
PAGE 4
072 C000000 18424
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 0
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 7528
072 I000000 61
072 J000000 51
072 K000000 5
072 L000000 74
072 M000000 279
072 N000000 49
072 O000000 146
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 138
072 S000000 80
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 73
072 W000000 4661
072 X000000 13145
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 5295
072AA000000 19508
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 42900
072DD010000 4388
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 10534
073 A010000 0.1470
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.3530
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 0
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 52634
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 1029535
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 1913
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 2573
074 M000000 3169
074 N000000 1089824
074 O000000 936
074 P000000 0
PAGE 5
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 12234
074 S000000 190117
074 T000000 886537
074 U010000 29766
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 31.26
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 3307
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 944784
076 000000 24.91
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 935
086 B020000 24302
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
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
PAGE 6
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