Electrophilic trisubstituted ethylene monomers, some ring‐substituted 2‐phenyl‐1,1‐dicyanoethylenes, RC6H4CH˭C(CN)2 (where R is 2‐Br, 3‐Br, 4‐Br, 2‐Cl, 3‐Cl, 4‐Cl, 2‐F, 3‐F, 4‐F) were synthesized by piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring‐substituted benzaldehydes and malononitrile, and characterized by CHN elemental analysis, IR, 1H‐and 13C‐NMR. Novel copolymers of the ethylenes and vinyl acetate were prepared at equimolar monomer feed composition by solution copolymerization in the presence of a radical initiator (ABCN) at 70°C. The composition of the copolymers was calculated from nitrogen analysis, and the structures were analyzed by IR, 1H and 13C‐NMR, GPC, DSC, and TGA. High T g of the copolymers, in comparison with that of polyvinyl acetate, indicates a substantial decrease in chain mobility of the copolymer due to the high dipolar character of the trisubstituted ethylene monomer unit. The gravimetric analysis indicated that the copolymers decompose in the 220–800°C range.