In 1911, Matthew Fontaine Maury High School opened its doors to students and replaced Norfolk, Virginia's first high school. As the oldest of the five public high schools in Norfolk, Maury High School has undergone many construction and expansion projects including one in the 1970s to add a gymnasium and indoor swimming pool.
In 1986, Maury High School formed a relationship with Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) which allows students enrolled in Maury's Medical and Health Specialties program to take courses at EVMS. Additionally, Maury offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses for college credit and has the highest participation and achievement in AP programs of all Norfolk Public Schools high schools.