Malvina Reynolds (August 23, 1900 – March 17, 1978) was an American folk/blues singer-songwriter and political activist, best known for her songwriting, particularly the songs “Little Boxes“, “What Have They Done to the Rain” and “Morningtown Ride“.

Malvina Milder was born in San Francisco, California, United States, to David and Abagail Milder, Jewishand socialist immigrants, who opposed involvement in World War I. Her mother was born in Russia and her father was born in Hungary. She married William (“Bud”) Reynolds, a carpenter and labor organizer, in 1934. They had one child, Nancy Reynolds Schimmel (a songwriter and performer), in 1935. Malvina earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and later earned a doctorate there, finishing her dissertation in 1938.