Haycox was born in
Fort Wayne, Indiana, and went to high school in a suburb of New York. His book
Battleground Alaska explores conflict between
state's rights and
federalism in
environmental policy. His book
Frigid Embrace contrasts the non-native Alaskans who come to the state for profit in often exploitative natural resource industries against the lifestyles of
indigenous residents who are permanent residents. Haycox was interviewed in the
documentary film The Harriman Alaska Expedition Retraced. He received the Alaska Governor's Humanities Award in 2003, the University of Alaska
Edith R. Bullock Prize for Excellence in 2002, was named the
Alaska Historical Society's Historian of the Year in 2003. He was named a distinguished professor at UAA. Haycox died in
Seattle, Washington, on August 8, 2025, at the age of 85. ==Books==