Abstract: The specification discloses a monovinylidene aromatic polymer having a molecular weight of at least 50,000 and an extremely narrow molecular weight distribution of less than 1.5, preferably with at least 80% by weight of the polymer having a molecular weight within plus or minus 30% of the weight average molecular weight. This polymer is produced through anionic polymerization of a pure feed stock which is first cooled to a temperature at which an anionic initiator preferentially reacts with impurities present in the feed stock and initiates the polymerization reaction but does not substantially propagate styrene polymerization. The initiator is uniformly dispersed into the feed stock while maintaining it at the lower temperature and the feed stock temperature is subsequently increased to a temperature at which polymerization of the sytrene proceeds normally.