Besides becoming one of the highly-sought Philadelphia silversmiths, Philip Syng, Jr. was a member of Benjamin Franklin's Junto, and was a founder of the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Union Fire Company, Philadelphia Contributionship, Pennsylvania Hospital, and the American Philosophical Society. He was a founding trustee of the academy and College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania), serving from 1749 to 1773.
Philip Syng, Jr.'s accomplishments extended beyond his success as a silversmith, as he was also an influential figure in Benjamin Franklin's social circle and played a pivotal role in founding several institutions that shaped the city of Philadelphia, including the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Union Fire Company, the Philadelphia Contributionship, Pennsylvania Hospital, and the American Philosophical Society.