Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen, Ph.D., LL.D., F.R.S., M.D., M.D.S. is a fictional character in a series of detective short stories and a novel by Jacques Futrelle. Some of the short stories were originally published in The Saturday Evening Post and the Boston American. Futrelle died at age 37 on April 15, 1912, on the RMS Titanic. He refused to board a lifeboat, insisting that his wife board instead. Biography In the stories, Professor Van Dusen solves a variety of different mysteries with his friend and companion, Hutchinson Hatch, reporter of a fictional newspaper called The Daily New Yorker. The professor is known as "The Thinking Machine", solving problems by the remorseless application of logic. This nickname was given to him after his winning of a match against the fictional chess champion of the day, Tschaikowsky, in a demonstration to show the power of applying pure logic. He was able to win against the reigning champion, having only been taught the game the morning of the match. Many of his titles are actually honorary degrees awarded to him, serving only to amuse the universities and scientific institutions that crown him with those titles. Van Dusen's catchphrases include, "Two and two always equal four," "Nothing is impossible" and "All things that start must go somewhere." His first story gives numerous details about his background, physical appearance, and personality: Bibliography Novels The Chase of the Golden Plate (1906) Short stories First Series "The Problem of Cell 13." Boston American, 30 October to 5 November 1905. Van Dusen accepts a challenge to escape from a death row cell within a week, and Hatch publicizes it in the newspaper "The Ralston Bank Burglary." Boston American, 6 November to 12 November 1905. "The Flaming Phantom." Boston American, 13 November to 19 November 1905. Hatch is sent to investigate a "haunted house" where a flaming ghost chases off any intruders, but he is forced to summon Van Dusen) "The Great Auto Mystery." Boston American, 20 November to 26 November 1905. Also published as "The Knife." "Kidnapped Baby Blake, Millionaire." Boston American, 27 November to 3 December 1905. Also published as "The Disappearance of Baby Blake." "The Mystery of a Studio." Boston American, 4 December to 10 December 1905. "The Scarlet Thread." Boston American, 11 December to 17 December 1905. "The Man Who Was Lost." Boston American, 18 December to 24 December 1905. "The Golden