The evolution of The Human Event, a course sequence at Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University, provides a case study of using a program's history to understand its present and improve its future. While Barrett is situated at a public university with 76,000 students, and is now a large college in itself with 4,803 honors students, it grew out of a much smaller program. From the beginning, The Human Event sequence has been a part of Barrett, and has contributed to its health and growth. This article highlights the experience and insights drawn from considering the history of The Human Event, which might be of interest to honors programs and colleges of any size, and at any institution, as an example of what can be gained from studying the origin and development of signature classes.