Hydrophilic polymers having both oligo(oxethylene) moieties and tertiary alcohol units in the main chain were prepared by the radical polyaddition of the diketones with distyryl compounds by using samarium(II) iodide as an electron transfer agent. Polyaddition of 4,4’-(1,4-phenylene)bis-2-butanone or 6,9-dioxatetradeca-2, 13-dione with distyryl compounds such as 1,15-di(4-ethenylphenyl)-2,5,8,11,14-pentaoxapentadecane, 1,18-di( 4-ethenylphenyl) -2,5,8,11,14, 17-hexaoxaoctadecane, or 1,21-di(4-ethenylphenyl )-2,5,8,1 1,14,17,20-heptaoxahenercosane resulted in the formation of the corresponding polymeric alcohols in moderate yields (46-75%). The produced polymers showed high solubility in common solvents, and their molecular weights estimated by GPC (THF, polystyrene standard) were 5200-8100. No serious difference in the molecular weight of the polymer between after and before the treatment with cerium ammonium nitrate indicated that the produced polymers were inert under the oxidative condition where oxidative cleavage of the main chain of poly(vinyl alcohol) takes place.