By the precise combination of both cyclohexyl- and octyl-substituted norbornene-dicarboximide monomers, a series of copolymers were prepared by ring-opening metathesis polymerization utilizing the Grubbs first-generation initiator. This allowed an excellent control over the glass transition temperature between 215 and 126 A degrees C depending upon the percentage of the octyl moiety in the copolymer. Initially two homopolymers, poly(N-cyclohexyl-exo-norbornene-5,6-dicarboximide) and poly(N-octyl-exo-norbornene-5,6-dicarboximide), were prepared to determine the desirable conditions for copolymer preparation. The kinetics of the two homopolymers were monitored using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and size-exclusion chromatography, with monomer conversion being achieved after 120 min in both cases.