Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park -- Ina Coolbrith, "Local Champion For Humanity"

Ina Donna Coolbrith was an American poet, writer, librarian, and a prominent figure in the San Francisco Bay Area literary community. Called the "Sweet Singer of California", she was the first California Poet Laureate. She was also the first librarian of the Oakland Public Library, hung out with John Muir and Mark Twain, and mentored young Jack London.

Ina was born Josephina Donna Coolbrith, in Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1841; daughter of Don Carlos Smith, niece of Joseph Smith. Though she hid her Mormon roots throughout her literary career, she maintained a close lifelong relationship with her cousin, Joseph F. Smith.

In a letter, Joseph F. Smith once chided Ina for being boastful about her poetry. Ina responded:

"If I have won myself a name, Joe, yet I am not to be praised for it. All honor is due to Him who gave the power and abilities to be able to write. Even those in this place who are averse to Mormonism have be heard to remark, 'Whether Joseph Smith was a man of God or not, they could not tell, but one this was sure, that God had bestowed great genius upon the Smith family.' So if I have contributed to gaining even that much of an opinion in favor of our family, and Mormonism, I have at least done no harm, and may have done some good."