Section 59-153-20 - Funds and assets held in trust; trustee; investments(A) All endowment funds and assets purchased with them are held in trust. The board of trustees of each institution of higher learning is the trustee of all endowment funds held in the name of that institution by the State Treasurer. The trustee has the exclusive authority to invest and manage those funds and assets and may invest and reinvest the funds, subject to all the terms, conditions, limitations, and restrictions imposed by Article 7, Chapter 9, Title 11, upon the investment of sinking funds of the State, and, subject to like terms, conditions, limitations, and restrictions, may hold, purchase, sell, assign, transfer, and dispose of any of the securities and investments in which the endowment funds have been invested, plus the proceeds of these investments and any monies belonging to these funds. Additionally, the trustee may invest and reinvest its endowment funds in equity securities of a corporation within the United States that is registered on a national securities exchange as provided in the Securities Exchange Act, 1934, or a successor act, or quoted through the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotations System, or a similar service.(B) If endowment funds are invested in a security issued by an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. Section 80 a-1, et seq.), the assets of the system include the security, but not assets of the investment company.1999 Act No. 122, Section 2.