7,7-Dicyanoquinone methides (1a-b) copolymerized spontaneously with substituted alpha-acetoxystyrenes (2a-b) in benzene at 60 degrees C to give alternating copolymers (poly(1a-b-co-2a-b)) with the molecular weights of 8-60 x 10(4)in 42-66% yields. When these copolymers were heated under nitrogen, they eliminated acetic acid quantitatively at around 200 degrees C to be converted to the colpolymers (poly(3a-d)) with olefinic bonds, which were characterized by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Alternating copolymers and the corresponding copolymers with olefinic bonds were amorphous, and capable of being cast from their chloroform solutions into transparent, tough films.