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000 C000000 0000040417
000 D000000 N
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000 F000000 Y
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000 J000000 U
001 A000000 GENERAL AMERICAN INVESTORS COMPANY, INC.
001 B000000 811-41
001 C000000 2129168400
002 A000000 450 LEXINGTON AVENUE - SUITE 3300
002 B000000 NEW YORK
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002 D010000 10017
002 D020000 3911
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012 A000001 CHASEMELLON SHAREHOLDER SERVICES, L.L.C.
012 B000001 84-5579
012 C010001 RIDGEFIELD PARK
012 C020001 NJ
012 C030001 07660
020 A000001 GOLDMAN SACHS & COMPANY
020 B000001 13-5108880
020 C000001 35
020 A000002 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
020 B000002 13-5674085
020 C000002 29
020 A000003 BEAR STEARNS & CO. INC.
020 B000003 13-4946705
020 C000003 27
020 A000004 MONTGOMERY SECURITIES
020 B000004 94-1701676
020 C000004 23
020 A000005 JEFFRIES & COMPANY, INC.
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020 C000006 16
020 A000007 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE SECURITIES CORP.
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020 C000007 13
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<PAGE> PAGE 2
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020 A000009 FIRST ALBANY CORPORATION
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020 C000009 8
020 A000010 PAINE WEBBER INCORPORATED
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022 A000001 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
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022 C000001 7003
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022 C000002 7748
022 D000002 7427
022 A000003 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
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022 C000003 5959
022 D000003 3962
022 A000004 PIPER JAFFRAY INC.
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022 C000004 6262
022 D000004 3632
022 A000005 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE SECURITIES CORP.
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022 C000005 5322
022 D000005 3697
022 A000006 CANTOR FITZGERALD & CO.
022 B000006 13-3680184
022 C000006 3437
022 D000006 3883
022 A000007 THE CHICAGO CORPORATION
022 B000007 36-2549961
022 C000007 4444
022 D000007 2405
022 A000008 ALEX. BROWN & SONS INCORPORATED
022 B000008 52-1319768
022 C000008 6790
022 D000008 0
022 A000009 LEWCO SECURITIES/HAMBRECHT & QUIST INC.
022 B000009 94-3220292
022 C000009 4242
022 D000009 1548
022 A000010 JEFFRIES & COMPANY, INC.
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022 C000010 1039
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SIGNATURE EUGENE L. DESTAEBLER, JR.
TITLE V.P., ADMINISTRATION
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<MULTIPLIER> 1000
<CURRENCY> U.S. DOLLARS
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1996
<EXCHANGE-RATE> 1
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 372920
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 599250
<RECEIVABLES> 5837
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<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
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<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 3631
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 4177
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 319006
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 22737
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 23963
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 591
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 33160
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 226330
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<EXPENSES-NET> 3114
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<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 33309
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 26059
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 61720
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 198
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 7450
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 28131
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 7302
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 1563
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
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<GROSS-EXPENSE> 3114
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 589694
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 23.94
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.10
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 2.75
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> .01
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</TABLE>
Attachment
Re: Item 77.C.
For period ending (a) 06-30-96
File number 811-41
SUB-ITEM 77C: Submission of Matters to a vote of Security holders
On March 13, 1996, at an annual meeting of stockholders of General American
Investors Company, Inc., in addition to the election of directors and the
ratification of the selection of auditors, the security holders rejected a
shareholder proposal relating to the conversion of the Registrant from
closed-end status to open-end (mutual fund) status.
The number of votes cast with respect to the foregoing matter was as
follows: in favor, 2,653,130; against, 11,929,614; abstain, 1,093,609.
