Polyesters are an attractive class of polymer that can be readily modified with a wide range of different comonomers, during polymerization or with melt blending, to achieve a wide variety of physical properties. This research primarily focuses on polyesters that incorporate rigid aromatic structures that have excellent potential to enhance thermal and mechanical properties. Copolyesters were prepared through melt polycondensation of diesters and diols in the presence of an exchange catalyst. Monomer incorporation was verified with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and molecular weights were obtained by measuring inherent viscosity (ninh). Physical properties were assessed with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and rheology. Mechanical properties were assessed with tensile and impact testing. Copolyesters of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were synthesized by substituting dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) with dimethyl 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylate (4,4'BB) resulting in enhanced glass transition (Tg) temperatures relative to PET while affording melting temperatures (Tm) low enough to allow facile melt processing. Further modification with dimethyl isophthalate (DMI) or dimethyl 3,4'-biphenyldicarboxylate (3,4'BB) slowed crystallization sufficiently to allow biaxial orientation, leading to further studies assessing the permeability of oriented films. Novel amorphous polyesters were synthesized with 3,4'BB or 4,4'BB in combination with neopentyl glycol (NPG), 1,4-cyclohexandimethanol (CHDM) and ethylene glycol (EG). Use of multiple diols produced clear, amorphous copolyesters with Tgs as high at 129 C. A series of novel high temperature(Tm) copolyesters were synthesized from dimethyl 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate (DMN) and 4,4'BB combined with CHDM. Studies were performed with standard DSC and thin film calorimetry to show the convergence of multiples melting endotherms in an effort to determine their origin. Preliminary work was performed on the modification of poly(1,4-cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) (PCT), poly(1,4-cyclohexylenedimethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PCN) and poly(1,4-cyclohexylenedimethylene 4,4'-bibenzoate) (PCB) with dimethyl p-terphenyl-4,4''-dicarboxylate. / PHD