Malvina Reynolds, born Malvina Milder on August 23, 1900 in San Francisco, California, was an American folk/blues singer-songwriter and political activist. She took violin lessons as a child and occasionally wrote music. Reynolds earned degrees in English from the University of California, Berkeley, including a doctorate completed in 1938. Her songwriting career began in her late forties when she met notable figures like Earl Robinson and Pete Seeger. She wrote several popular songs, including "Little Boxes" (1962), recorded by Pete Seeger and others, and "What Have They Done to the Rain" (1962). Reynolds also composed children's songs like "Morningtown Ride" (1957). Her most famous song, "Little Boxes", was inspired by the houses of Daly City, California. Reynolds passed away on March 17, 1978.
