  We present an initial sample of 19 intermediate-mass black hole candidates in
active galactic nuclei culled from the First Data Release of the Sloan Digital
Sky Survey. Using the linewidth-luminosity-mass scaling relation established
for broad-line active nuclei, we estimate black hole masses in the range of 8 x
10^4 - 10^6 solar masses, a regime in which only two objects are currently
known. The absolute magnitudes are faint for active galactic nuclei, ranging
from M_g of -15 to -18 mag, while the bolometric luminosities are all close to
the Eddington limit. The entire sample formally satisfies the linewidth
criterion for so-called narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies; however, they display a
wider range of FeII and [OIII] (5007) line strengths than is typically observed
in this class of objects. Although the available imaging data are of
insufficient quality to ascertain the detailed morphologies of the host
galaxies, it is likely that the majority of the hosts are relatively late-type
systems. The host galaxies have estimated g-band luminosities ~ 1 mag fainter
than M* for the general galaxy population at z of 0.1. Beyond simply extending
the known mass range of central black holes in galactic nuclei, these objects
provide unique observational constraints on the progenitors of supermassive
black holes. They are also expected to contribute significantly to the
integrated signal for future gravitational wave experiments.
