UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 14A

           Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
                      Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant |X|
Filed by a party other than the Registrant |_|

Check the appropriate box:

|_|   Preliminary proxy statement.
|_|   Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
      14a-6(e)(2))
|_|   Definitive proxy statement.
|X|   Definitive additional materials.
|_|   Soliciting material under Rule 14a-12.


                           TRI-CONTINENTAL CORPORATION
        (Name of Registrant as Specified in Registrant's Charter)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

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      to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is
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|_|   Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
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      paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement
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[JWS LOGO and name omitted]

September 19, 2008

Dear Financial Advisor:

I am writing to notify you that your clients who own shares of Tri-Continental
Corporation should have received a proxy statement detailing several proposals
with respect to the pending acquisition of J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated,
the manager of Tri-Continental, by RiverSource Investments, LLC, a subsidiary of
Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

The proxy statement seeks stockholder approval of the following proposals:

    o   a new investment advisory agreement between Tri-Continental and
        RiverSource; and

    o   the election of ten new directors of Tri-Continental.

A Special Meeting of Stockholders will be held on Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at
which stockholders will be asked to vote on the proposals listed above, each as
described in the proxy statement.

We ask that you encourage your clients to vote their proxies in favor of the
proposals as soon as possible. Your clients should complete, date, sign and
return their proxy card by mail, authorize their proxy by telephone or via the
Internet, or they may vote in person at the Special Meeting, as described in the
proxy statement. If any of your clients need assistance voting their shares,
please have them call Georgeson Inc., Tri-Continental's proxy solicitors at
888-219-8293.

Voting in favor of the proposals will help ensure that Tri-Continental will
continue to operate as a closed-end fund. If the acquisition of Seligman by
RiverSource is completed and stockholders approve the new investment advisory
agreement, a new portfolio management team will manage Tri-Continental's
portfolio. The acquisition will not result in any change in the Corporation's
investment objective or policies.

Tri-Continental has been investing through up and down market cycles for nearly
80 years. As you are aware, over the course of the past year, the market has
witnessed a number of unprecedented events that have resulted in heightened
volatility, investor uncertainty, and weakening financial markets. Despite the
current environment, Tri-Continental is confident about the financial market's
long-term prospects and will continue to prudently manage your clients' assets
in accordance with its investment objective.

We appreciate your help, and thank you for your ongoing support.

Sincerely,

Charles W. Kadlec
Managing Director